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European Society for Medical Oncology 2006: meeting highlights on targeted therapies

Considerable advances in our understanding of the complex cellular, molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis over the last decade have contributed to the development of novel and improved targeted therapies in cancer intervention. These novel therapies interfere specifically with signaling pathways essential for tumor cell proliferation, survival and migration, they may be able to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis effectively, with fewer severe adverse events than seen with existing chemotherapeutic interventions, which have a narrow therapeutic index and are associated with severe toxic side effects. Among the most recent advances in anticancer treatments are therapies that target novel cellular entities, such as epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor. Monoclonal antibodies and protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors represent two classes among these promising new therapeutic interventions. During the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2006 (Istanbul, Turkey, 29 September – 3 October) new and emerging biological therapies have represented a central argument of research. These highlights summarize the most interesting studies concerning molecular agents, such as panitumumab, lapatinib, sunitinib, sorafenib, erlotinib, bevacizumab and cetuximab, to provide a comprehensive overview of the important points and news about this area of research discussed during the meeting.