American association for cancer research 98th annual meeting. Angiogenesis and anti-angiogenesis in cancer

This AACR meeting covered a broad array of new approaches for targeting neovasculature in cancer growth and hematogenous and lymphatic metastasis. The successes, as well as the limitations, of anti-VEGF agents have generated increased interest in research on additional anti-angiogenic approaches for cancer therapy. A common theme of many of the presentations on angiogenesis was the critical importance of identifying mechanisms of action, and methods of assessing response to anti-angiogenic agents that have been approved for human use or are in clinical development. The diversity of the pipeline of newer agents targeting tumor angiogenesis and/or lymphangiogenesis was also highlighted, together with elegant studies dissecting the molecular or pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the widely different properties of these agents. Important steps have been undertaken for the identification of disease-specific molecular pathways, the development of improved imaging techniques and the development of biomarkers to evaluate efficacy and individualized targeting with appropriate anti-angiogenic agents.