title: Emerging drugs for endometrial cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From the dualistic classification that divides endometrial cancer (EC) into two types with distinct underlying molecular profiling, histopathology and clinical behavior, arises a deeper understanding of the carcinogenesis pathways. EC treatment comprises different and multimodal therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or combinations of novel drugs; however, few of these regimens have truly improved progression-free or survival rates in advanced and metastatic settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the main molecular pathways involved in EC carcinogenesis through a wide literature search of novel compounds that alone or in combination with traditional drugs have been investigated or are currently under investigation in randomized clinical trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The molecular therapies mainly discussed in this review are potential therapeutic candidates for more effective and specific treatments. In the genomic era, a deeper knowledge about molecular characteristics of cancer provides the hope for the development of better therapeutic approaches. Targeting both genetic and epigenetic alterations, attacking tumor cells using cell-surface markers overexpressed in tumor tissue, reactivating antitumor immune responses and identifying predictive biomarkers represent the emerging strategies and the major challenges.
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, IT-00168 Rome , Italy +39 0630154979 ; +39 063051160 ; giulia.amadio@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amadio
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Masciullo
authors.forename: Maria Gabriella
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015195:Drug Design; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: biomarker; endometrial cancer; molecular pathway; target therapy