Abstract
The development of targeted therapeutics for cancer continues to receive intense research attention as laboratories and pharmaceutical companies seek to develop drugs and technologies that improve treatment efficacy and mitigate harmful side effects. In the aftermath of World War I, it was discovered that mustard gas destroys rapidly dividing cells and could be used to treat cancer. Since then, chemotherapy has remained a predominant treatment for cancer; however, the destruction of dividing cells throughout the body yields devastating side effects including off-target damage of the digestive tract, bone marrow, skin, and reproductive tract. Furthermore, the high mutation rate of cancerous cells often renders chemotherapy ineffective long-term. Therapies with improved specificity, localization, and efficacy are redefining cancer treatment. Herein, we define and summarize the principal advancements in targeted cancer treatment and briefly comment on the march towards personalized medicine in the treatment of human cancer.
Highlights
Cancer remains one of the principal public health concerns throughout the world [1].The remarkable heterogeneity of cancer, even within tissue types, has rendered it extremely difficult to diagnose and treat
In the early 1900s, low-dose radiation therapy emerged as a second strategy for cancer treatment
Following World War I, it was discovered that mustard gas selectively kills prolific cells; soon thereafter, it underwent testing as a treatment for cancer [3,4]
Summary
Cancer remains one of the principal public health concerns throughout the world [1].The remarkable heterogeneity of cancer, even within tissue types, has rendered it extremely difficult to diagnose and treat. While chemotherapy and radiation therapy have certainly revolutionized the clinical management of cancer, the off-target toxicity of both approaches remains a critical problem [5]. In the context of these clinical problems, two principal principal approaches to improving the specificity and efficacy of cancer treatments have emerged.
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