SUCCESS IN FIGHTING THE TOUGHEST
CANCERS DEMANDS INNOVATION
Over the last half-century, cancer survival rates have increased. But for the toughest cancers
today, successful treatment remains elusive. The toughest cancers have seen minimal
therapeutic advances, limited improvement in prognosis, and pose the most dif� cult
challenges for patients and clinicians.1 Researchers at Amgen are invested in gaining a
better understanding of the underlying characteristics of tumor cells that historically have
been dif� cult to treat. These efforts have inspired new thinking in our research labs to
address the lack of successful treatment options for some of these cancers.
THERAPEUTIC CHALLENGES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The toughest cancers are commonly characterized as being refractory and resistant, rapidly
progressing, diagnosed in advanced stages, invasive and metastatic, limited in therapeutic
options, and heterogeneous with multiple subtypes.1-7 These cancers present many
barriers to treatment and are the focus of the most robust and exciting research today.
Attempts to treat these advanced and dif� cult cancers can often exceed the capabilities
of traditional cornerstones of cancer therapy. Conventional therapeutic options such
as surgery, hormonal and radiation therapy, and chemotherapy have the most impact
during early stages of the disease or in tumors highly unresponsive to drug therapy.
Once cancer cells adapt and mutate in late stages of the disease, traditional treatment
options lack effectiveness and patients experience relapse and require re-treatment.
CANCER TYPE CHALLENGES/BARRIERS THERAPEUTIC OPPORTUNITY
Refractory and resistant1 • Intrinsically unresponsive
to therapy
• Acquired resistance
• Identifying mechanisms or
mutations of resistance
• Mutations include:
KRAS, BRAF, MDR1
Rapidly progressing1,8,9 • Rapid growth
• Adaptive therapy
• In� ltrative nature
• Identifying targets for
molecular therapy
• Research into microRNA
and cancer stem cells
Commonly diagnosed in
advanced stages4
• Regional/distant metastasis
• Can seem to suddenly appear
• Increased screening
• Detection in earlier stages
• More effective therapies at
advanced stages of disease
Invasive and metastatic6 • Spread from primary tumor to
regional and distant organs
• Improve understanding of
metastatic process at cellular
and molecular level
• Interrupting interactions of
metastatic cells and host
homeostatic mechanisms
Limited lines of therapy1-7 • Cancers have escaped
effectiveness of surgery
or radiation therapy
• Discovering new signaling
pathways using microarray
testing for intervention
Heterogeneity with multiple
subtypes6
• Tumors with subpopulation
of cancer cells that are
drug resistant and highly
metastatic
• Cancer cells differ from
primary tumor cells in terms
of treatment and prognosis
• Development of
innovative strategies to
control these subtypes
• Stimulating human
immune system to
destroy cancer cells
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