Drugs that inhibit tumor angiogenesis are now routinely used in the clinic to treat a number of major cancer types, including lung, liver, kidney, brain, breast, and colorectal cancers. Some drugs such as anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody therapy are administred intravenously and may be combined with traditional chemotherapy drugs as part of regular treatment cycles.
Another class of angiogenesis inhibitors is comprised of oral antiangiogenic drugs that are commonly referred to as small molecule therapies or tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These drugs, which are taken in pill form, bind to receptors for VEGF and other angiogenic growth factors on the surface of cells that line the inside of blood vessels. Although no angiogenesis inhibitors are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ovarian cancer, several agents are in advanced clinical trials.
Antiangiogenic Treatments
Last updated July 5, 2011