title: Predictive factors to targeted treatment in gastrointestinal carcinomas.
abstract: Most cancers are traditionally treated with either chemotherapeutic agents, radiotherapy, or both. Identification of specific molecular characteristics of tumors and the advent of molecular-targeted drugs not only enhance the efficacy but also decrease the toxicity of treatment. These new therapies may target pathways critical to tumor development or specific driver mutations in cancer cells. This understanding of the molecular pathways of cancer cells has led to the ability to predict cancer development, behaviour and prognosis, as well as response or resistance to current therapeutic agents. As a result, pathologic analyses play a vital role in the detection of cancer biomarkers, which are important not only in the diagnosis of cancers but also in the selection of appropriate therapeutic agents and in the development of new targeted therapies.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silvestris
authors.affiliation: Interventional Radiology Unit with Integrated Section of Translational Medical Oncology, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marech
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Elisabetta
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Preclinical Pharmacology Laboratory, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azzariti
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Department, Ospedale U. Parini, Aosta, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianmauro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Numico
authors.affiliation: Clinical Experimental Oncology Laboratory, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delcuratolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: The Oncology Institute "Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burz
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, National Cancer Research Centre "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorusso
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053842:Microsatellite Instability; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009154:Mutation; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D018631:ras Proteins; C117307:KRAS protein, human; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; C573423:MTHFR protein, human; C484760:PIK3CA protein, human; C512478:EGFR protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human; C482119:BRAF protein, human
keywords: EGFR; Gastrointestinal cancer; HER2; VEGF; targeted therapy