An Insight on Skin Cancer About Different Targets With Update on Clinical Trials and Investigational Drugs

Curr Drug Deliv. 2024;21(6):852-869. doi: 10.2174/1567201820666230726150642.

Abstract

Cancer is a diverse disease caused by transcriptional changes involving genetic and epigenetic features that influence a huge variety of genes and proteins. Skin cancer is a potentially fatal disease that affects equally men and women globally and is characterized by many molecular changes. Despite the availability of various improved approaches for detecting and treating skin cancer, it continues to be the leading cause of death throughout society. This review highlights a general overview of skin cancer, with an emphasis on epidemiology, types, risk factors, pathological and targeted facets, biomarkers and molecular markers, immunotherapy, and clinical updates of investigational drugs associated with skin cancer. The skin cancer challenges are acknowledged throughout this study, and the potential application of novel biomarkers of skin cancer formation, progression, metastasis, and prognosis is explored. Although the mechanism of skin carcinogenesis is currently poorly understood, multiple articles have shown that genetic and molecular changes are involved. Furthermore, several skin cancer risk factors are now recognized, allowing for efficient skin cancer prevention. There have been considerable improvements in the field of targeted treatment, and future research into additional targets will expand patients' therapeutic choices. In comparison to earlier articles on the same issue, this review focused on molecular and genetic factors and examined various skin cancer-related factors in depth.

Keywords: Skin cancer; inflammatory skin cancer; investigational drugs.; metastasis; molecular facets; risk factors; targeted therapy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Drugs, Investigational* / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy / methods
  • Risk Factors
  • Skin Neoplasms* / drug therapy