title: Novel targets in gastric and esophageal cancer.
abstract: Esophageal cancer (EC) and gastric cancer (GC) constitute a major cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Recent improvements in both surgical techniques and adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both have increased the survival of patients with loco-regional disease. However, most patients with GC or EC have advanced disease either at diagnosis or during the follow-up, and despite recent advances, these patients still do poorly. Understanding of the molecular pathways that characterize cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis and invasion has provided novel targets in cancer therapy. In this review we describe the current status of targeted therapies in the treatment of EC and GC, including EGFR inhibitors, antiangiogenic agents, cell cycle inhibitors, apoptosis promoters and matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors. The emerging data from the clinical development of these compounds has provided novel opportunities in the treatment of EC and GC that will probably translate into clinical benefit for patients with these common malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, P Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Claudia María
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Valverde
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Macarulla
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tabernero
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020781:Matrix Metalloproteinase 1