Revision of the concept of anti-angiogenesis and its applications in tumor treatment

Chronic Dis Transl Med. 2017 Mar 8;3(1):33-40. doi: 10.1016/j.cdtm.2017.01.002. eCollection 2017 Mar 25.

Abstract

Anti-angiogenesis therapy, by blocking formation of new blood vessels in tumors, is the standard-of-care therapy for various cancer types. The classic concept of anti-angiogenesis is expected to turn a tumor into a "dormant" disease. However, the combination of anti-angiogenesis agents with conventional therapeutics has generally produced only modest survival benefits for cancer patients in clinical trials. Therefore, the concept and applications of anti-angiogenesis have evolved dramatically along with lessons learned from recent clinical experience. In this article, we will discuss the revised concept of anti-angiogenesis therapy and the applications of anti-angiogenesis drugs, and focus particularly on how to utilize current anti-angiogenesis agents and develop new approaches to provide more benefits to patients with cancer.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Anti-angiogenesis; Cancer; Vascular endothelial growth factor.

Publication types

  • Review