Background: Drug development in oncology has seen major innovations in recent years. Based on the molecular changes found in malignant tumors, new drugs are being developed which specifically target these altered signaling pathways.
Results: In addition to the already broadly used inhibitors of growth factor and angiogenic signaling pathways, new and innovative target structures have been identified. Cancer stem cells which are thought to be the reason for drug resistance and tumor recurrence are now being targeted. c-MET signaling has emerged as an important new signaling module which can be influenced pharmacologically. Inhibitors of immune checkpoints like antibodies which target the CTLA4 molecule are leading to impressive results in clinical trials. Drugs which influence the epigenetic changes found in tumor cells are tested specifically for their ability to overcome drug resistance. Finally, treatment with oncolytic viruses has made a comeback in certain tumor entities.
Conclusion: Oncological treatments will see a significant addition of new drugs and treatment options in the next few years which will hopefully improve the survival of patients with tumors.