Why do Molecular targeted Therapies in non-small Cell Lung Cancer have Limited Success?
Pushpam Kumar Sinha
Published: October 31, 2021.
Abstract
In the last decade great strides have been made towards the discovery of molecules whose aberrant functioning has been held responsible for the genesis and progression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Broadly speaking there are two types of lung cancers: NSCLC, and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). The majority of lung cancers are of the type NSCLC. In this paper the therapeutic molecular targeting of aberrantly functioning molecule has been dealt with in the context of NSCLC, but, however, the conclusions derived in this paper hold for any molecular targeted therapy for any cancer. Different molecules are functioning aberrantly in different NSCLC patients, some of them being Mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor (MET), Kirsten Rat Sarcoma (KRAS), Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), etc. The paper analyzes the limited success of molecular targeted therapies in NSCLC in the context of MET inhibitors, and generalizes the results of analysis for any molecular targeted therapy against any cancer. The paper ends with the suggestion that the targeted molecular therapy in NSCLC be combined with the depressants of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway to improve patient response to the therapy.
Keywords: Clinical trial; Clinical success; Inhibitors; Proliferation; Apoptosis