Developments in chemotherapy; cytostatic agents with an increased specificity and other forms of administering cytotoxic antineoplastic agents]

In recent years developments in molecular biology have greatly increased our knowledge about the cellular processes which govern the development of cancer. This has led to the development of anticancer agents that specifically target one of these cellular processes, for example, farnesyl transferase inhibitors, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors and anti-angiogenic agents. In addition to this, new chemotherapeutic agents with increased target specificity have been developed. Finally, in recent years there has been an emphasis on developing new forms of administration so that optimal use can be made of existing chemotherapeutic agents.