Comprehensive review of targeted therapy for colorectal cancer

作者：Yuanhong Xie, Yingxuan Chen, Jing‐Yuan Fang · 发表于：Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1038/s41392-020-0116-z · 被引用次数：1715 · 研究领域：Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies、Gastric Cancer Management and Outcomes、Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Prognosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most lethal and prevalent malignancies in the world and was responsible for nearly 881,000 cancer-related deaths in 2018. Surgery and chemotherapy have long been the first choices for cancer patients. However, the prognosis of CRC has never been satisfying, especially for patients with metastatic lesions. Targeted therapy is a new optional approach that has successfully prolonged overall survival for CRC patients. Following successes with the anti-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) agent cetuximab and the anti-angiogenesis agent bevacizumab, new agents blocking different critical pathways as well as immune checkpoints are emerging at an unprecedented rate. Guidelines worldwide are currently updating the recommended targeted drugs on the basis of the increasing number of high-quality clinical trials. This review provides an overview of existing CRC-targeted agents and their underlying mechanisms, as well as a discussion of their limitations and future trends.