Review

Tumor biology and cancer therapy – an evolving relationship

Thomas Seufferlein² , Johann Ahn¹ , Denis Krndija¹ , Ulrike Lother¹ , Guido Adler¹ and Götz von Wichert¹

¹  Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany

²  Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Halle, Ernst Grube Strasse 40, 06120 Halle, Germany

author email corresponding author email

Cell Communication and Signaling 2009, 7:19doi:10.1186/1478-811X-7-19

Published:	13 August 2009

Abstract

The aim of palliative chemotherapy is to increase survival whilst maintaining maximum quality of life for the individual concerned. Although we are still continuing to explore the optimum use of traditional chemotherapy agents, the introduction of targeted therapies has significantly broadened the therapeutic options. Interestingly, the results from current trials put the underlying biological concept often into a new, less favorable perspective. Recent data suggested that altered pathways underlie cancer, and not just altered genes. Thus, an effective therapeutic agent will sometimes have to target downstream parts of a signaling pathway or physiological effects rather than individual genes. In addition, over the past few years increasing evidence has suggested that solid tumors represent a very heterogeneous group of cells with different susceptibility to cancer therapy. Thus, since therapeutic concepts and pathophysiological understanding are continuously evolving a combination of current concepts in tumor therapy and tumor biology is needed. This review aims to present current problems of cancer therapy by highlighting exemplary results from recent clinical trials with colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients and to discuss the current understanding of the underlying reasons.