Neal J. Meropol, MD | Authors

March 01, 2005

Olszewski and colleagues reviewpreclinical and clinicaldata regarding vascular endothelialgrowth factor (VEGF) inhibitors,with particular attention to thedevelopment of bevacizumab (Avastin)in patients with colorectal cancer.The translation from biologic conceptto clinical proof of concept has beenstriking in its rapidity. However, manyimportant questions remain, and thisstory is only beginning to unfold. Inthis commentary, we will highlightsome of those questions that bear onthe optimal use of VEGF inhibitors inpatients with colorectal cancer.

April 01, 2004

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is commonly expressedin colorectal cancers but not in most normal tissues, raising the possibilitythat this receptor could serve as a target for highly selective therapy.Based on preclinical studies demonstrating that antagonists of EGFRresulted in the inhibition of tumor growth, the development of clinicalreagents has been aggressively pursued. Early clinical studies demonstratedantitumor activity of EGFR inhibitors in patients with advancedcolorectal cancer, with acceptable toxicity. This early success fueledrapid clinical development. In this article, we will review the currentstatus of EGFR inhibitors in the treatment of patients with colorectalcancer, in an effort to describe both how far we have come as well aswhere we need to go in optimizing this promising therapeutic approach.

February 01, 2001

The second edition of the Textbook of Uncommon Cancer is a useful resource for practicing oncologists who encounter unusual presentations of common tumors or esoteric subtypes of more common cancers. The text is laid out according to

June 01, 2000

Either alone or in combination with other antineoplastics, fluorouracil (5-FU) has been the mainstay of treatment of gastrointestinal, breast, and head and neck cancers for the past 40 years. Numerous active 5-FU schedules are in