title: Investigational drugs for the treatment of cervical cancer.
abstract: Cervical cancer (CC) is currently the fourth most common malignant disease of women worldwide. Although the incidence and the mortality rates have been decreasing with screening detection and new treatment strategies, a significant number of metastatic or recurrent disease is still diagnosed. For those patients not amenable to curative treatments, such as surgery and radiation, palliative chemotherapy remains the standard of care. As chemotherapy regimens have limited activity, research is focalized on investigating novel pharmacologic strategies. Areas covered: This paper aims to give a complete and updated overview on investigated therapies for the treatment of CC. The authors review the results of clinical studies and highlight the ongoing trials. Expert opinion: Agents targeting various molecular pathways including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), epigenetics and other biological mechanisms represent interesting investigational opportunities. Amongst such drugs, bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, was the first targeted drug recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with metastatic, recurrent, or persistent CC. Another interesting experimental approach is represented by immunotherapy, which is leading to promising results with to the development of therapeutic vaccines and immune checkpoints inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology , IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST , Genoa , Italy.|b Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI) , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barra
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecologic Oncology , IRCCS National Cancer Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lorusso
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology , IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST , Genoa , Italy.|b Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI) , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Leone Roberti Maggiore
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecologic Oncology , IRCCS National Cancer Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ditto
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecologic Oncology , IRCCS National Cancer Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bogani
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecologic Oncology , IRCCS National Cancer Institute , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raspagliesi
authors.affiliation: a Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology , IRCCS AOU San Martino - IST , Genoa , Italy.|b Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI) , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrero
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015195:Drug Design; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015507:Drugs, Investigational
keywords: Angiogenesis inhibitors; cervical cancer; immunotherapy; investigational drugs; targeted therapy