Integration of Translational Research in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Research (EORTC)
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BioMed Central
Open Access
Commentary
Integration of Translational Research in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Research (EORTC) Clinical Trial Cooperative Group Mechanisms Frederic Lehmann1, Denis Lacombe1, Patrick Therasse1 and Alexander MM Eggermont*2 Address: 1EORTC Data Center, Brussels, Belgium and 2Erasmus MC – Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Dept of Surgical Oncology, Rotterdam, Netherlands Email: Frederic Lehmann - [email protected]; Denis Lacombe - [email protected]; Patrick Therasse - [email protected]; Alexander MM Eggermont* - [email protected] * Corresponding author
Published: 07 August 2003 Journal of Translational Medicine 2003, 1:2
Received: 01 July 2003 Accepted: 07 August 2003
This article is available from: http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/1/1/2 © 2003 Lehmann et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.
Abstract The landscape for cancer research is profoundly different today from that only one decade ago. Basic science is moving rapidly and biotechnological revolutions in molecular targeting and immunology have completely modified the opportunities and concepts for cancer treatment. In contrast to the recent past where cytotoxic molecules were screened in the laboratory and then tested in early clinical studies with toxicity as endpoint instead of the often poorly defined mechanism for its potential anti-tumor effect, we now have entered the age of molecular therapeutics, rationally designed to target "strategic" checkpoints that underlie the malignant phenotype. Translational research in early clinical trials (Phase I and II) is an integral aspect of the development of the new generation of cancer drugs as it is necessary to implement radically different early phase clinical trial design and to validate new biological end-points if the full potential of these new agents is to be realized. The "proof of principle with mechanistic analysis" strategy will allow optimisation of therapy from the beginning, and provide important feedback to pre-clinical drug developers. Translational research is also essential in late (phase III) clinical trials in defining different patient populations that may benefit to differing degrees from new treatments, and thus provide further insight and refine clinical practice in a more and more patient-tailored approach. In this editorial we will discuss the integration of Translational Research in the Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
Translational Research in Clinical Trials must take priority The landscape for cancer research is profoundly different today from that only one decade ago. Basic science is moving rapidly and biotechnological revolutions in molecular targeting and immunology have completely modified the
opportunities and concepts for cancer treatment. In contrast to the recent past where cytotoxic
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