Year: 2012
Type: editorial
Abstract: Difficulties in directly targeting tumor cells. Specific therapeutic targeting of cancer cells has been the holy grail of oncological research for decades. However, effective cancer cell directed therapy has proven difficult to achieve mainly due to the enormous multitude of genetic aberrations in many types of cancer. Given the vast number of inter-individual genetic variations and biologic behaviours of malignant cells, each tumor patient can be considered to have his own private and individual tumor. Genetic diversity has even been described between cancer cells within a single tumor nodule [1]. This has led to an ever increasing diversification and complexity of cancer therapy under the grand theme of ‘individualized medicine’. Individualized medicine has resulted in modest oncologic success such as EGFR and ALK targeted
Source: Oncotarget
Authors: Joachim C. Mertens, Gregory J. Gores
Institutions: Mayo Clinic, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2111472828