Targeted therapy for gynecologic cancers: Toward the era of precision medicine

Abstract

Recent advances in molecular biology of cancer have led to the development of targeted agents, mainly of monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule compounds. Unlike traditional drugs that inhibit DNA synthesis and mitosis, these agents target the signaling pathways of cancer cells, stroma, and vasculature in tumor tissues. For gynecologic cancers, drugs targeting angiogenesis such as anti-VEGF antibody have been used in the treatment of advanced or recurrent ovarian and cervical cancers, and the drugs targeting homologous recombination deficiency such as PARP inhibitors have been approved for maintenance after chemotherapy in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. In addition, novel immunotherapy using the immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 antibody has received much attention for modulation of local immunity, resulting in the durable response of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. In the precision medicine era, further understanding of cancer genomics and identification of predictive biomarkers are essential to ensure better health for women with gynecologic cancer.

Keywords: Anti-PD-1 antibody; Anti-VEGF antibody; FIGO Cancer Report; Gynecologic cancer; Immune checkpoint inhibitor; PARP inhibitor; Precision medicine; Targeted therapy.