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Antiangiogenic therapy for liver metastasis of gastrointestinal malignancies
Author(s) -
Konno Hiroyuki,
Tanaka Tatsuo,
Baba Megumi,
Kanai Toshikazu,
Nakamura Satoshi
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of hepato‐biliary‐pancreatic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.63
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1868-6982
pISSN - 0944-1166
DOI - 10.1007/s005340050077
Subject(s) - metastasis , medicine , angiogenesis , chemotherapy , radiation therapy , immunotherapy , cancer research , cancer , in vivo , oncology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
In about half of the patients with gastrointestinal carcinomas, surgical excision of the primary tumor is not curative because metastasis has already occurred. Recent investigations of metastasis have shown that angiogenesis plays an important role in this process. In solid tumors angiogenesis occurs continuously to provide a blood supply for the proliferating cancer cells. As a new and potent method to control metastasis, antiangiogenic therapy has attracted considerable interest. This therapy inhibits angiogenesis, inducing a dormant state in which tumors cannot grow; the prognosis may thus be remarkably improved. Antiangiogenic agents show a characteristic antitumor effect which is different from that of chemotherapy. Based on our experimental in‐vivo data, we conclude that antiangiogenic agents should not be used only for achieving tumor shrinkage, like chemotherapy. These agents should be used to control micrometastases, as the therapeutic effect on such metastasis is excellent. In addition, antiangiogenic agents may be valuable for long‐term administration to maintain tumor dormancy, because drug resistance does not develop and these agents have a sustained effect. Combinations with conventional anti‐cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or surgery may also be valuable.