Liposome encapsulation is one of the strategies designed to minimize this side effect. There are several liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin formulations available which show different pharmacological characteristics. The most commonly used are liposomal doxorubicin (Myocet) and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx). In patients with metastatic breast cancer, liposomal anthracyclines have proven to be as effective and less toxic when compared face to face with conventional anthracyclines, allowing Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical a longer period of treatment and a higher cumulative

dose of the anthracyclines. The combined analysis of available data indicates an Epigenetics inhibitor overall reduction in risk for both cardiotoxicity (RR = 0.38, P < 0.0001) and clinical heart failure (RR = 0.20, P = 0.02). The safety of liposomal anthracyclines endorsed its use in patients with some cardiac risk factors. In HER2-positive breast cancer, the addition Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of trastuzumab to chemotherapy significantly increased response rate, progression-free survival, and Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical overall survival. Initial studies demonstrated synergy when trastuzumab was combined with anthracyclines, but their excessive cardiac toxicity limited their use and nonanthracycline therapeutic

strategies were designed. Liposomal anthracyclines have proven to be effective and safe when combined with trastuzumab both in advanced and early breast cancer. Of particular interest is the use of the combination of liposomal anthracyclines plus trastuzumab in patients with early and HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, as this is probably the subgroup that would

benefit Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical most from a treatment with anthracyclines. The potential clinical benefit of anthracyclines in this setting should be investigated in a clinical trial comparing a regimen with liposomal anthracyclines versus a nonanthracyclines combination. Conflict of Interests The authors declare Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical no conflict of interests relating to the publication of this paper.
Melanoma derivates from melanocytes—pigment cells of the skin. Melanoma most commonly arises from epidermal skin melanocytes (cutaneous melanoma), but primary and tumors can also be found lining the choroidal layer of the eye (uveal melanoma) or the mucosal surfaces of the respiratory, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal surfaces. Similar to other tumors, the progression stage of melanoma is predictive for therapeutic success. Early stage melanomas (thin tumors) result in a 97% 5-year survival rate of the patients, after surgical removal [1]. Conversely, advanced melanoma patients, comprising metastasis in regional lymph nodes or other organs, face 5-year survival rates of less than 10% [1]. Due to the intrinsic tendency of melanoma to early metastasis, even small primary tumors have already led to metastasis and a substantial portion of diagnosed melanoma cases are of late progression stages.