Platinum and Other Heavy Metal Compounds in Cancer Chemotherapy - Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications (Electronic book text)

Following the serendipitous discovery of cisplatin by Barnett Rosenberg back in 1965 and its approval in 1978 by the Food and Drug Administration, a growing number of platinum compounds have emerged as fundamental components for the treatment of different types of cancer. Although replaced by the better tolerated analogue carboplatin, cisplatin itself is still an important tool for the treatment of germ cell tumors and cancers of head and neck. The introduction into the clinic of the DACH platinum compound oxaliplatin has broadened the spectrum of activity of the platinums to gastro-intestinal cancers, and especially colorectal cancer. Among the newer analogues on the way to the clinic, satraplatin is particularly interesting since it is the first orally available platinum analogue. The purpose of this book is to cover the most important issues related to platinum drugs including the mechanisms of action and resistance; the development of novel platinum compounds and other metal coordination compounds; the combination of platinum drugs with targeted therapies for the treatment of common malignancies such as breast, colorectal, lung and gynaecologic cancers; new therapeutic indications in prostate and genitourinary tumours; integration with radiotherapy; special therapies such as intraperitoneal administration; pharmacodynamic-based dosing; management of anaemia and myelosuppression; mechanisms of neurotoxicity and its protection.