Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumor growth and survival
- Identify emerging targeted therapies that have shown activity in the treatment of a various solid tumors
- List differentiating factors between monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule kinase inhibitors targeting the VEGF pathway
- Describe the rationale behind the use of kinase inhibitors that target multiple pathways
Topics covered include:
- Introduction: Targeting Tumors by Inhibiting Angiogenesis
- VEGF Is a Key Mediator of Tumor Angiogenesis
- Summary of the Proposed Mechanisms of Action of Anti-VEGF Agents
- Targeting VEGF: The Efficacy of Bevacizumab in Multiple Tumor Types
- Combining Bevacizumab With Other Targeted Therapies
- Targeting VEGF: The VEGF Trap as a Potent Angiogenesis Inhibitor
- Toxicity Associated With Targeting VEGF
- Targeting VEGF: Multitargeted Agents May Increase Activity at the Cost of Toxicity
- Sunitinib Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Targets Multiple Receptors
- Sorafenib Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Targets Raf Kinase and VEGF Receptors
- Motesanib Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Targets VEGF Receptors, c-Kit, and PDGFR
- Other Multitargeted Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Currently in Development
- Conclusions