Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer and a second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer. Despite their proven efficacy, classical therapies are, however, unable to cure metastatic breast cancer and are often associated with significant toxicity and side-effects, due to a wide spectrum of action. During the last years, our increasing knowledge of the molecular pathways underlying cancer development has led to the introduction of new drugs, of which most are directed towards very specific targets. Rather than to be used as single agents, these “modern” compounds could ultimately be combined with classical molecules. Here are described nearly 150 drugs that are currently used in routine therapy or are in clinical trials in breast cancer patients. From the classical tamoxifen, fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, epirubin, docetaxel, paclitaxel…, to the more recently introduced ixabepilone, lapatinib, vorinostat, everolimus, bevacizumab…, they also include capecitabine, gemcitabine, trastuzumab, bevacizumab, fulvestrant, aromatase inhibitors, cancer vaccines, inhibitors of tumor-induced osteolysis, insulin-like growth factor-I receptor inhibitors, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 inhibitors, and many others. This book offers an insight into current developments of breast cancer therapy, when classicism meets modernity.
Table of contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and down-regulators (SERDs)
Chapter 3: Aromatase inhibitors
Chapter 4: Agents inducing ovarian suppression
Chapter 5: Antimetabolites
Chapter 6: Alkylating agents
Chapter 7: Anthracyclines
Chapter 8: Microtubule-binding agents
Chapter 9: Topoisomerase inhibitors
Chapter 10: HER family inhibitors
Chapter 11: Angiogenesis inhibitors
Chapter 12: Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor inhibitors
Chapter 13: RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway inhibitors
Chapter 14: Ubiquitin-proteasome system inhibitors
Chapter 15: Histone deacetylases inhibitors
Chapter 16: Mitotic inhibitors
Chapter 17: Inhibitors of heat-shock proteins 90 and 27
Chapter 18: PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors
Chapter 19: Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors
Chapter 20: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 inhibitors
Chapter 21: Tumor-induced osteolysis inhibitors
Chapter 22: Vaccines and immunomodulators
Chapter 23: Varia
Index
