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Impressive advances in genome analysis have made it possible to develop a new class of cancer drugs. These medicines act specifically on sites of impaired information transfer within cancer cells, and therefore, these substances are also called ‘Targeted Drugs’.

Which targeted medicines are available?

At present, two groups of targeted drugs are in clinical use, with monoclonal antibodies belonging in the first group. Monoclonal antibodies are drugs which resemble protein of the body’s own immune defence system. They act specifically on receptor molecules (receptors) located on the surface of cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies are administered by infusion.

The second group of new medicines comprise drugs which specifically block the information transfer in cancer cells through enzymes. As enzymes are mainly of kinase origin, these drugs are also called kinase inhibitors. These medicines are very small molecules and can be given as tablets. Due to their size, these drugs are also just called ‘small molecules’.

At present, monoclonal antibodies as well as ‚small molecules‘ are being tested in many malignant diseases, and some of these drugs are already approved, under defined guidelines, for use in cancer medicine in Europe, i.e. they can be obtained from a pharmacy on prescription. A large number of these drugs are currently being tested in clinical studies.

Which Specific Drugs Are Being Used For Colorectal Cancer?

A variety of antibodies are currently used in the management of colorectal cancers.

• One such antibody inhibits tumour growth by binding the blood protein ‘Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor’ (VEGF) which is important for the formation of new vessels in tumour tissue. This anti-VEGF antibody is used in combination with chemotherapy.
• Another type of antibody acts directly on the tumour cells. The ‘Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor’ (EGF-R) mediates signals which promote tumour growth and metastases formation. These signals are inhibited, however, when the adhesion of growth factors on the EGF receptors is blocked. Two EGF-R receptors (Cetuximab und Panitumumab) may be used, under certain conditions, in intestinal cancer either as mono-therapy or as combination chemotherapy. The examination of the mutation status of the K-Ras oncogene in tumour cells is suitable for predicting the effectiveness of EGF-R antibodies. If the K-Ras is unmutated, EGF-R antibodies will be effective, in the case of mutated K-Ras they have no effect. For this reason, it is essential to determine the status of the K-Ras mutation prior to a therapy with EGF-R antibodies.

Other targeted drugs are tested as part of clinical studies managed by CIO. Your treating doctor will inform you about the possibility of taking part in a clinical study, and will explain all advantages of being part of a clinical trial in detail.

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