Angiogenesis Inhibitors For Cancer Treatment
What is angiogenesis?
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is a process controlled by certain chemicals produced in the body. Although this may help in normal wound healing, cancer can grow when these new blood vessels are created. Angiogenesis provides cancer cells with oxygen and nutrients. This allows the cancer cells to multiply, invade nearby tissue, and spread to other areas of the body (metastasize).
What are angiogenesis inhibitors and how do they work?
A chemical that interferes with the signals to form new blood vessels is referred to as an angiogenesis inhibitor.
Sometimes called antiangiogenic therapy, this experimental treatment may prevent the growth of cancer by blocking the formation of new blood vessels. In some animal case studies, angiogenesis inhibitors have caused cancer to shrink and resolve completely.
In humans, most angiogenesis inhibitors are only used in clinical trials at this time. These drugs are mostly still considered investigational. In 2004, a new antiangiogenesis drug called Avastin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
Research studies are currently underway to help scientists learn whether the approach will apply to many human cancers. Patients with cancers of the breast, prostate, pancreas, lung, stomach, ovary, cervix, and others are being studied. If the research studies demonstrate that angiogenesis inhibitors are both safe and effective for cancer treatment in humans, these drugs will go through the approval process by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to become available for widespread use.
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Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Programs at
Rush University Medical Center in Chicago
At Rush, we offer a range of standard and investigational therapies for the treatment of cancer. We have more than a dozen programs specializing in the treatment of specific cancers, including:
Rush cancer programs are approved by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Only one in four hospitals that treat cancer receive this special approval.
Click here to visit the home page for Cancer Programs at Rush.
Cancer Screening and Prevention
Cancer screening and prevention are priorities at Rush. Through genetic testing, counseling and advanced techniques for early detection, Rush helps people with a strong history of breast, ovarian, colon and other cancers. And in our state-of-the-art mammography center, we have one of the city’s finest teams of radiologists dedicated to early detection of breast cancer.
Cancer Support Programs at Rush
Cancer is not only a physical ordeal, it is also an emotional one, affecting cancer patients, their family and friends. To help address the whole person, we offer a number of resources to help patients and their loved ones cope in this difficult time.
For information on the cancer support programs at Rush click here.
Clinical Trials
Rush offers a number of clinical trials of experimental cancer treatments. Use the links below to search for studies for a particular form of cancer. If you are interested in exploring your eligibility for one of our open trials, please call (312) 942-8312. If we do not list trials for a particular type of cancer, please feel free to call us to discuss other treatment options.
For information on cancer clinical trial programs at Rush click here.
Find a Specialist at Rush
To find a cancer specialist at Rush, click on one of the following links:
To find specialist at Rush in other cancer-related areas, click on one of the following links:
Or make an appointment with a doctor at Rush by calling our toll-free physician referral number:
To reach the hospital operator, call (312) 942-5000. If you have difficulty hearing, call (312) 942-2207 (TTY/TTD).
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