Targeted therapy for breast cancer: review of current and promising new agents

July 8, 2010

A review of current and promising targeted therapies for the treatment of breast cancer was published this month in  Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America.  Dr. George Sledge et al discuss what is meant by targeted therapy, targeted therapy in the context of genomics, and HER2 targeted therapy, as well as several novel approaches including anti-vascular endothial growth factor therapy, chemotherapy as targeted therapy, PARP inhibition for triple-negative breast cancer, and targeting site-specific bone metastasis.  The review includes discussion of controversies in the treatment of breast cancer (see controversies on KnowBreastCancer.org:  anthracyclines, trastuzumab, anti-angiogenesis).