title: Investigational therapies targeting the ErbB family in oesophagogastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognosis for patients with oesophagogastric (OG) cancer remains poor, with a median survival of approximately 9 - 11 months for patients with metastatic disease. However, a more personalised approach to treatment, using drugs tailored to the molecular characteristics of patients' tumours, has the potential to improve patient outcomes. Drugs targeting the ErbB family of receptors have been developed, but these have had varying degrees of success in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors provide an overview of the ErbB receptor family with regard to OG cancers. Furthermore, they evaluate the evidence from preclinical and clinical trials of therapeutics targeting this family, including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and novel agents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drugs targeting the ErbB family have been evaluated in OG cancer, with a notable success story in the case of trastuzumab, although there have been disappointing failures with anti-EGFR therapy. The response to targeted treatment remains variable and further biomarker research is essential to identify patients most likely to benefit from these therapies. The treatment of OG cancer remains challenging, but new anti-HER2 therapies and combination therapies hold promise for the future.
authors.affiliation: The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Medicine , Sutton SM2 5PT , UK +44 020 8642 6011 ; +44 020 8643 9414 ; singyu.moorcraft@rmh.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Sing Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Moorcraft
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015195:Drug Design; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000494:pharmacology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015507:Drugs, Investigational; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: EGFR; ErbB (HER) family; HER2; monoclonal antibodies; oesophagogastric cancer; tyrosine kinase inhibitors