Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 14, 2016; 22(30): 6776-6799
Published online Aug 14, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i30.6776
New advances in targeted gastric cancer treatment
Daniela Cornelia Lazăr, Sorina Tăban, Marioara Cornianu, Alexandra Faur, Adrian Goldiş
Daniela Cornelia Lazăr, Adrian Goldiş, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Victor Babeş”, 300041 Timişoara, Timis County, Romania
Sorina Tăban, Marioara Cornianu, Alexandra Faur, Department of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Victor Babeş”, 300041 Timişoara, Timis County, Romania
Author contributions: All of the authors contributed equally to this work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Daniela Cornelia Lazăr, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Victor Babeş”, Piata Eftimie Murgu No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Timis County, Romania. lazar_daniela@yahoo.com
Telephone: +40-356-433121 Fax: +40-256-486956
Received: March 29, 2016
Peer-review started: April 4, 2016
First decision: May 12, 2016
Revised: June 13, 2016
Accepted: July 6, 2016
Article in press: July 6, 2016
Published online: August 14, 2016
Processing time: 128 Days and 14.3 Hours
Abstract

Despite a decrease in incidence over past decades, gastric cancer remains a major global health problem. In the more recent period, survival has shown only minor improvement, despite significant advances in diagnostic techniques, surgical and chemotherapeutic approaches, the development of novel therapeutic agents and treatment by multidisciplinary teams. Because multiple genetic mutations, epigenetic alterations, and aberrant molecular signalling pathways are involved in the development of gastric cancers, recent research has attempted to determine the molecular heterogeneity responsible for the processes of carcinogenesis, spread and metastasis. Currently, some novel agents targeting a part of these dysfunctional molecular signalling pathways have already been integrated into the standard treatment of gastric cancer, whereas others remain in phases of investigation within clinical trials. It is essential to identify the unique molecular patterns of tumours and specific biomarkers to develop treatments targeted to the individual tumour behaviour. This review analyses the global impact of gastric cancer, as well as the role of Helicobacter pylori infection and the efficacy of bacterial eradication in preventing gastric cancer development. Furthermore, the paper discusses the currently available targeted treatments and future directions of research using promising novel classes of molecular agents for advanced tumours.

Keywords: Gastric cancer; Helicobacter pylori infection; Chemotherapy; Targeted therapy; Clinical trials; New treatment advances

Core tip: Recent research attempts to determine the molecular heterogeneity of gastric tumours. Currently, some novel agents targeting aberrant molecular signalling pathways are already part of the standard treatments for gastric cancer, whereas others remain in phases of clinical trials. By identifying the unique molecular patterns of tumours, new horizons in gastric cancer treatment towards personalized medicine will emerge. This review analyses the role of Helicobacter pylori infection and the efficacy of bacterial eradication in gastric cancer prevention, as well as the currently available targeted treatments and future directions of research using promising novel classes of molecular agents.