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Combination therapy: key data and ongoing studies combining targeted and cytotoxic agents
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy have shown limited success in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Increased understanding of pathways involved in tumor cell growth and escape from immune surveillance has led to the development of molecularly targeted therapies. The targeted agents tested to date have demonstrated limited single-agent activity, engendering enthusiasm for the investigation of scientifically grounded combinations with other targeted drugs, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Combinations currently in clinical trials include novel drugs that target various growth factors or their receptors, intracellular signal-transduction proteins, and regulators of apoptosis. Because of the limited efficacy of currently available first-line treatments for metastatic melanoma, it seems appropriate to have first-line treatment remain the focus of randomized trials until a defensible standard therapy has been established.
| Commun Oncol 2008;5(suppl 2):23–30 | full text |  219 kb |