Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - Volume 5, Issue 4, 2009

Background: A tumor system not only consists of diverse cell types but also comprises all components of action insofar that these components are oriented in terms of diverse cell types. Methods: Thus, it is necessary to decode paradox situations of cellular rationalization, deformation, and communication processes or, in other words, to uncover inconsistencies within tumor cell compartments or distinct topologies of aggreg Read More

Cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside) is commonly used in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, including both myeloid and lymphoid disorders. The cytotoxic effect of the drug depends on conversion to its triphosphate form in the targeted cells, and the intracellular levels of this active form depend on the balance between phosphorylating and dephosphorylating enzymes. The sensitivity to cytarabine-triphosphate induced cyt Read More

The cancer stem cell hypothesis states that tumours arise from cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types, and that these cells persist in tumors as a distinct population that can cause disease relapse and hence metastasis. The crux of this hypothesis is that these cells are the only cells capable of, by themselves, giving rise to new tumours. What proportion of a tumour consists of these stem cells, Read More

MET is a member of the semaphorins, plexins and MET/RON receptor family, which is stimulated by the ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and uniquely regulates a wide range of cellular functions. When dysregulated and activated, as in the case of human cancers with MET amplification or overexpression, mutation or alternative splicing, it has been implicated to play pivotal role in human tumor cell progression and metasta Read More

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) consists of topical or systemic delivery of photosensitizing drugs followed by irradiation with light. Topical PDT is currently carried out with 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) or methylaminolaevulinate (MAL) both metabolized in the cells to protoporphyrinIX (PpIX), a photosensitizing molecule absorbing visible light. As the rate of ALA-induced PpIX synthesis and accumulation is higher in malignant cells Read More

Patients with early stage non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have historically been treated by resection alone, with results that have been superior to the results seen with radiation alone. This reflects the selection bias inherent to any comparison of operative and non-operative patients but surgery remains preferred treatment option. However, relapse rate after surgery is significant. In addition, a large proportion of these p Read More

The understanding of the barriers to effective treatment of cancer is rapidly expanding. As the molecular pathways of apoptosis become better understood, the mechanisms by which cancer cells evade the apoptotic effect of standard chemotherapeutic agents are revealed. Protein kinase B/AKT mediates a potent survival/anti-apoptotic signal when activated; many cancers have been observed to harbor constitutive activati Read More

Treatment with thyroid hormone is needed in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) after the initial treatment (thyroidectomy followed, in most cases, by radioiodine remnant ablation) for two reasons: a) Correction of hypothyroidism in an athyreotic patient (replacement therapy); b) Blockade of thyrotropin (TSH) secretion in view of the TSH-dependence of DTC (TSH-suppressive therapy). Levothyroxine (L- Read More

The constitutive tyrosine kinase (TK) activity of the Bcr-Abl fusion oncoprotein, the product of the Philadelphia (Ph1)-chromosome, is essential for factor-independent cell proliferation and survival in Bcr-Abl-positive (Bcr-Abl+) leukemias, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) or Ph1-positve acute leukemias. Currently, Bcr-Abl TK inhibitors (TKIs) such as imatinib mesylate are regarded as the most promising therapeuti Read More

There is growing evidence for a role of the hemopoietic microenvironment in the pathophysiology of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Effects of various cytokines on the marrow microenvironment of patients with MDS have been studied. Autoimmunity, i.e. a reaction of autologous T lymphocytes against components of the marrow is also operative in a proportion of patients with MDS. The negative feed-back loop that Read More