title: Targeted therapy for advanced thymic tumors.
abstract: The use of targeted therapies for the treatment of thymic malignancies is documented in the literature. However, only a few drugs have undergone evaluation in phase II trials. Most of the evidence for the benefit of biologic therapies for thymic malignancies is in the form of case reports and small case series. No major activity has been observed with any agent so far, likely due to the lack of selection of patients for targeted therapies and the small numbers studied. A better understanding of the biology of these tumors will be essential in furthering the field.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giaccone
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D013945:Thymoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins