Molecular Radio-Oncology

Personalized Radiation Oncology: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Other Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors

Molecular Radio-Oncology

Recent results in cancer research Fortschritte der Krebsforschung Progrès dans les recherches sur le cancer, January 2016

27318683

978-3-66-249649-7, 978-3-66-249651-0

Geoff S Higgins, Mechthild Krause, W Gillies McKenna, Michael Baumann, Higgins, Geoff S, Krause, Mechthild, McKenna, W Gillies, Baumann, Michael

Molecular biomarkers are currently evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies in order to establish predictors for treatment decisions in radiation oncology. The receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) are described in the following text. Among them, the most data are available for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that plays a major role for prognosis of patients after radiotherapy, but seems also to be involved in mechanisms of radioresistance, specifically in repopulation of tumour cells between radiotherapy fractions. Monoclonal antibodies against the EGFR improve locoregional tumour control and survival when applied during radiotherapy, however, the effects are heterogeneous and biomarkers for patient selection are warranted. Also other RTK´s such as c-Met and IGF-1R seem to play important roles in tumour radioresistance. Beside the potential to select patients for molecular targeting approaches combined with radiotherapy, studies are also needed to evluate radiotherapy adaptation approaches for selected patients, i.e. adaptation of radiation dose, or, more sophisticated, of target volumes.