What Are Targeted Cancer Therapies

VIDEO:  NANO TECH FOR TARGETED CANCER THERAPY

The few targeted therapies that are approved for use in children can have different side effects in children than in adults, including immunosuppression and impaired sperm production (4).

What targeted therapies have been approved for specific types of cancer?

The FDA has approved targeted therapies for the treatment of some patients with the following types of cancer (some targeted therapies have been approved to treat more than one type of cancer):

Adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction: Trastuzumab (Herceptin®), ramucirumab (Cyramza®)

Basal cell carcinoma: Vismodegib (Erivedge™), sonidegib (Odomzo®)

Brain cancer: Bevacizumab (Avastin®), everolimus (Afinitor®)

Breast cancer: Everolimus (Afinitor®), tamoxifen, toremifene (Fareston®), Trastuzumab (Herceptin®), fulvestrant (Faslodex®), anastrozole (Arimidex®), exemestane (Aromasin®), lapatinib (Tykerb®), letrozole (Femara®), pertuzumab (Perjeta™), ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla™), palbociclib (Ibrance®)

Cervical cancer: Bevacizumab (Avastin®)

Colorectal cancer: Cetuximab (Erbitux®), panitumumab (Vectibix®), bevacizumab (Avastin®), ziv-aflibercept (Zaltrap®), regorafenib (Stivarga®), ramucirumab (Cyramza®)

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®)

Endocrine/neuroendocrine tumors: Lanreotide acetate (Somatuline® Depot)

Head and neck cancer: Cetuximab (Erbitux®)

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor: Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®), sunitinib (Sutent®), regorafenib (Stivarga®)

Giant cell tumor of the bone: Denosumab (Xgeva®)

Kaposi sarcoma: Alitretinoin (Panretin®)

Kidney cancer: Bevacizumab (Avastin®), sorafenib (Nexavar®), sunitinib (Sutent®), pazopanib (Votrient®), temsirolimus (Torisel®), everolimus (Afinitor®), axitinib (Inlyta®)

Leukemia: Tretinoin (Vesanoid®), imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®), dasatinib (Sprycel®), nilotinib (Tasigna®), bosutinib (Bosulif®), rituximab (Rituxan®), alemtuzumab (Campath®), ofatumumab (Arzerra®), obinutuzumab (Gazyva™), ibrutinib (Imbruvica™), idelalisib (Zydelig®), blinatumomab (Blincyto™)

Liver cancer: Sorafenib (Nexavar®)

Lung cancer: Bevacizumab (Avastin®), crizotinib (Xalkori®), erlotinib (Tarceva®), gefitinib (Iressa®), afatinib dimaleate (Gilotrif®), ceritinib (LDK378/Zykadia), ramucirumab (Cyramza®), nivolumab (Opdivo®)

Lymphoma: Ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®), denileukin diftitox (Ontak®), brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®), rituximab (Rituxan®), vorinostat (Zolinza®), romidepsin (Istodax®), bexarotene (Targretin®), bortezomib (Velcade®), pralatrexate (Folotyn®), lenaliomide (Revlimid®), ibrutinib (Imbruvica™), siltuximab (Sylvant™), idelalisib (Zydelig®), belinostat (Beleodaq™)

Melanoma: Ipilimumab (Yervoy®), vemurafenib (Zelboraf®), trametinib (Mekinist®), dabrafenib (Tafinlar®), pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), nivolumab (Opdivo®)

Multiple myeloma: Bortezomib (Velcade®), carfilzomib (Kyprolis®), lenaliomide (Revlimid®), pomalidomide (Pomalyst®), panobinostat (Farydak®)

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disorders: Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®), ruxolitinib phosphate (Jakafi™)

Neuroblastoma: Dinutuximab (Unituxin™)

Ovarian epithelial/fallopian tube/primary peritoneal cancers: Bevacizumab (Avastin®), olaparib (Lynparza™)

Pancreatic cancer: Erlotinib (Tarceva®), everolimus (Afinitor®), sunitinib (Sutent®)

Prostate cancer: Cabazitaxel (Jevtana®), enzalutamide (Xtandi®), abiraterone acetate (Zytiga®), radium 223 chloride (Xofigo®)

Soft tissue sarcoma: Pazopanib (Votrient®)

Systemic mastocytosis: Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®)

Thyroid cancer: Cabozantinib (Cometriq™), vandetanib (Caprelsa®), sorafenib (Nexavar®), lenvatinib mesylate (Lenvima™)

Where can I find information about clinical trials of targeted therapies?

Both FDA-approved and experimental targeted therapies for specific types of cancer are being studied in clinical trials. The names of the targeted therapy types listed below are links to lists of ongoing clinical trials that are testing those types of targeted therapies in cancer patients. These trial descriptions can also be accessed directly by searching NCI’s list of cancer clinical trials. NCI’s list of cancer clinical trials includes all NCI-funded clinical trials as well as studies conducted by investigators at hospitals and medical centers throughout the United States and around the world. For information about other ways to search the list, see “Help Using the NCI Clinical Trials Search Form.”

Hormone therapy

Signal transduction inhibitors

Gene expression modulators

Apoptosis inducers

Angiogenesis inhibitors

Immunotherapy

Monoclonal antibody conjugates

Selected References

Flaherty KT, Infante JR, Daud A, et al. Combined BRAF and MEK inhibition in melanoma with BRAF V600 mutations. New England Journal of Medicine 2012; 367(18):1694-1703. [PubMed Abstract]
Petrelli F, Borgonovo K, Cabiddu M, Lonati V, Barni S. Relationship between skin rash and outcome in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with anti-EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A literature-based meta-analysis of 24 trials. Lung Cancer 2012; 78(1):8-15. [PubMed Abstract]
Cai J, Ma H, Huang F, et al. Correlation of bevacizumab-induced hypertension and outcomes of metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with bevacizumab: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Journal of Surgical Oncology 2013; 11:306. [PubMed Abstract]
Gore L, DeGregori J, Porter CC. Targeting developmental pathways in children with cancer: what price success? Lancet Oncology 2013; 4(2):e70-78