Targeted therapy in gynecologic oncology: Biology, strategy, and assessment

Abstract

One of the most exciting and intensely complex aspects of clinical care has been the development, validation and implementation of new therapeutic modalities and agents in the care of our patients with gynecologic malignancies. Fortunately, the multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, and multi-modality effort has brought not only longevity to our patients, but also provided new opportunities for previously unimaginable options in care. For instance systematic development of cytotoxic agents and refinement in surgical techniques in primary ovarian cancer has improved the median survival by a factor of 2 in the last 3 decades [ [1] Barnholtz-Sloan J.S. Schwartz A.G. Qureshi F. et al. Ovarian cancer: changes in patterns at diagnosis and relative survival over the last three decades. Am. J. Obstet. 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Oncol. 2008; : 26 PubMed Google Scholar ] and identification of new efficacious agents for women recurrent endometrial cancer remains an exigent priority.