title: Targeted therapy for colorectal cancer: mapping the way.
abstract: In spite of the significant advances in conventional therapeutic approaches to colorectal cancer (CRC), most patients ultimately die of their disease. Dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying CRC progression will not only accelerate the development of novel cancer-selective drugs but will also enable the therapeutic regimen to be personalized according to the molecular features of individual patients and tumors. Here, we report on the novel insights into CRC biology that are paving the way to the development of molecular therapies and summarize the results from recent clinical trials demonstrating that agents targeting tumor-specific molecular derangements can significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy of conventional chemotherapy. Only a broader clinical implementation of these concepts will provide patients with CRC the best chance of a cure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua, Italy. mocellins@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mocellin
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lise
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nitti
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D015415:Biomarkers; D019496:Cancer Vaccines