title: Cervical cancer: are there potential new targets? An update on preclinical and clinical results.
abstract: According to international guidelines, treatment of cervical cancer (CC) consists of surgery in early stages and of chemoradiation in locally advanced disease. Metastatic disease is usually treated with palliative chemotherapeutic regimens, but cytostatic drugs present significant side effects and show limited activity. Thus, the discovery of new anticancer agents, interfering with molecular targets expressed by the tumor's microenvironment or by the tumor cell itself, represents a possible chance for the struggle against this tumor. The aim of this review is to report all targets that have been investigated in preclinical and clinical studies. We discuss these potential targets according to "targeted therapies" NCI classification. The most investigated molecular targets have been epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), both involved in CC etiopathogenesis. Studies with anti-angiogenetic agents showed encouraging clinical efficacy and acceptable toxicity. Other interesting results have been obtained by immunotherapeutic strategies. Since biological characteristics of CC, especially in recurrent disease, are still partially unknown, future studies are necessary to understand mechanisms involved in CC carcinogenesis, in order to give to patients the most tailored and efficient treatments.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomao
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Tucci
authors.forename: Ludovica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imperiale
authors.forename: Serena Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Boccia
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: Innocenza
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palaia
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muzii
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy. federica.tomao@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Pierluigi Benedetti
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Panici
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D057285:Precision Medicine; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors