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Three recent population studies have translated laboratory investigations into a clinical setting and concur in presenting evidence that suggest a dramatic new role for β-blockers in reducing metastases, tumor recurrence and specific mortality in breast cancer. Should we be skeptical about these controversial findings?
Recently published phase III trials involving interleukin-2, ipilimumab and vemurafenib redefine 'standard-of-care' for metastatic melanoma and demonstrate improved survival compared with dacarbazine. All three therapies are potential first-line options for patients with metastatic melanoma, with optimal treatment strategies evolving based on tumor mutation status, disease burden, performance status and comorbidities.
Abiraterone plus prednisone prolongs overall survival relative to prednisone alone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have disease progression after treatment with docetaxel. The survival gain observed in this pivotal trial is accomplished with few adverse events and conclusively demonstrates that patients with castration levels of serum testosterone remain sensitive to additional hormonal manipulation.
Medical imaging techniques can monitor tumor changes in response to treatment and provide important surrogate end points in clinical studies. Bruno Morgan discusses advantages and limitations of currently available imaging modalities and highlights the challenges associated with the incorporation of imaging biomarkers into clinical cancer trials.
Autophagy is an important cellular recycling mechanism that can be either tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive and represents a novel anti-cancer target. In this article, Janku and colleagues explain the rational behind targeting autophagy for the development of anticancer therapy and discuss drugs that either inhibit or activate autophagy.
The survival rate of patients with pediatric cancer has increased considerably due to improved understanding of the biology of cancer subtypes, and the development of targeted therapies. This Review analyzes the recent findings that link pharmacogenomic variations with drug exposure, adverse effects, and efficacy of the emerging new treatments in pediatric oncology.
The exclusive expression of well-defined antigens renders prostate cancer an attractive target for immunotherapy. Di Lorenzoet al. review clinical results of immunotherapy trials in patients with prostate cancer and discuss methodological issues related to the evaluation of treatment efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents.
Phase I trials have evolved from simple dose-finding studies to studies that provide therapeutic opportunities for patients where no standard therapy is available; however, various factors have hampered patient recruitment on phase I trials. The authors discuss how matching patients with specific genetic aberrations to specific therapies will improve drug attrition rates and improve patient outcomes.
