Review of the clinical experience with 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in solid tumors

Abstract

In recent years the importance of epigenetic changes in carcinogenesis has been unfolding. It is now clear that the fifth base of the genome, methylcytosine, plays a critical role in the control of gene expression during normal development and carcinogenesis. Efforts to decrease methylation in neoplasias as a therapeutic strategy have been productive in hematologic malignancies but disappointing in solid tumors. The following is a review of the clinical experience with the agents 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in solid malignancies and a discussion of the difficulties encountered.