Tyrosine kinase inhibitors as targeted agents for the treatment of cancer - Dissertation Example

Therapeutic advances have been made in the recent past whereby many patients who have had cancers have been able to lengthen the span of their lives through earlier detection and the support of combination therapies or targeted therapies which have evolved through research and clinical trials. The chemotherapy targets the kinases involved in the signaling pathways of cancer development. Significant focus has been placed on tyrosine kinases involved in promoting the wild uncontrolled malignant proliferation.

The aim of this literature review was to become familiar with possible chemotherapeutic agents employed in the improvement in the quality of life of cancer patients and recognise the possible openings for future research. Introduction Cancer is the abnormal, uncontrolled growth and proliferation of body cells due to a change in the genetic code caused by a mutation occurring when cell structure or specifically DNA is damaged (Dollinger and Rosenbaum, 2008). The incidence of cancer indicates increased rates with 10 million new cases globally every year (Duenas-Gonzalez, 2008).

The US alone has 1,368,030 new cancer cases per year. However the mortality rate has been shown to have reduced in some cancers like those of the lung, colorectum, prostate and breast (Duenas-Gonzalez, 2008). The improvement in the 5-year and 10-year survival rates could be due to either early detection or better treatment or both and based on the histopathological type of malignancy. The cytotoxic drugs which were initiated in the pre-genomic era known as the classical drugs or the combination of the traditional cytotoxic drugs with the post-genomic medicines based on rationale (targeted therapies) have not been able to cure the disease yet.

The classical drugs were selected for their. The chemotherapy targets the kinases involved in the signaling pathways of cancer development. Significant focus has been placed on tyrosine kinases involved in promoting the wild uncontrolled malignant proliferation. The aim of this literature review was to become familiar with possible chemotherapeutic agents employed in the improvement in the quality of life of cancer patients and recognise the possible openings for future research. Cancer is the abnormal, uncontrolled growth and proliferation of body cells due to a change in the genetic code caused by a mutation occurring when cell structure or specifically DNA is damaged (Dollinger and Rosenbaum, 2008).

The incidence of cancer indicates increased rates with 10 million new cases globally every year (Duenas-Gonzalez, 2008). The US alone has 1,368,030 new cancer cases per year. However the mortality rate has been shown to have reduced in some cancers like those of the lung, colorectum, prostate and breast (Duenas-Gonzalez, 2008). The improvement in the 5-year and 10-year survival rates could be due to either early detection or better treatment or both and based on the histopathological type of malignancy.

The cytotoxic drugs which were initiated in the pre-genomic era known as the classical drugs or the combination of the traditional cytotoxic drugs with the post-genomic medicines based on rationale (targeted therapies) have not been able to cure the disease yet. The classical drugs were selected for their action in reducing or controlling the tumor. The treatment was based on the difference in cell proliferation in normal and cancer cells (Broekman, 2011).