Targeted Chemotherapy

Abstract

Targeted chemotherapy constitutes the group of drugs that kill cancer cells by targeting a specific receptor or enzyme expressed by dysfunctional tumor cells rather than by causing diffuse DNA damage. Targeted chemotherapeutic drugs have multiple mechanisms of action including acting on specific growth receptors to stop cell division and growth, trigger programmed cell death, stop the proliferation of newly forming blood vessels near the tumor, activating the immune system to target the tumor cells, among others. To successfully use these drugs, proper understanding of the receptors and immunohistochemical nature of the tumor cell line is needed. Further, most patients might not be eligible for targeted therapy as their tumor cells may not express the protein that is being targeted. While these drugs have targeted actions, they are not devoid of adverse drug reactions. This chapter discusses the various categories of drugs, the molecular targets, and the clinical uses.