Page No 34 Nivedita Lahiri 1 * , Sudeep K Lahiri 2 1 Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA 2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA, USA Abstract Cancer, at different stages, is currently treated with conventional methods including chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. These approaches often become ineffective for cancers that have spread aggressively in different parts of the body (metastasis). Hence, researchers have been actively investigating alternative methods to stop cancer-growth (oncogenesis) or even possibly reversing the cancer-growth (regression) without affecting the normal cells. Several approaches are used by scientists ranging from enhancing the immune system (immunotherapy) to genetic manipulations. Prophylactic vaccines are also attempted. An overview of such attempts is presented in this review. Several drugs developed at trial phases, or pre-clinical or exploratory phases are described. Many approaches show a promise of inhibiting oncogenesis, some also in its regression, thereby hinting at a possibility of finding a permanent solution to cancer in future. Introduction Envisioning the Reversal of Oncogenesis Cancer is referred to a group of diseases occurring due to uncontrolled cell division at a focal point (primary), which is either benign (not invading other organs) or malignant (invading nearby sites of the body by metastasis). According to the WHO report in 2013, 8 million people around the world would be dying of cancer this year, with global deaths reaching 13.2 million annually by 2030 [1]. 72% of the cancer deaths occurred in low and middle income countries, due to delays in diagnosis and treatment [2]. There are about 200 different cancers that affect the human body [3]. To address the ever increasing problem of cancer, researchers have investigated and identified specific factors (risk factors) that enhance a person’s chance of developing certain types of cancer. Cancer risk factors can be (a) Behavioral: like tobacco, alcohol, dietary factors, lack of physical activity, obesity etc. [4], (b) Environmental: UV radiation, secondhand smoke, pesticides and other toxins, (c) Biological: gender, age, ethnicity, etc., (d) Hereditary: specific mutated genes inherited from parents [5]. Treatment for cancer has undergone evolutionary changes as more research to understand the intrinsic biological processes are being performed. Of late, most of the treatment mechanisms are effective for cancers diagnosed at early stages, but are ineffective for cancers diagnosed at later stages (metastasized). Conventional treatments include combinations of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Newer targeted therapies have been devised since the late 1990’s for treating specific forms of cancer. Personalized therapy-combinations have also come up as a new arsenal in modern cancer treatment [6, 7]. Other methods of treatment such as lasers [8], photodynamic therapy (PDT) [9], immunotherapy [10, 11], hormone treatment, and angiogenesis inhibitors [12] are also used, but they are not effective in controlling metastatic cancer. Most of them, in the final stages of the disease, are aimed at relieving the symptoms of cancer and improving the quality of the patient’s life (palliative care). Since cancer is the resultant of a genetic mutation, translocation or alteration of the copy number of certain exons ISSN 2330-0302 (Onliine); CODEN: VRICAO, VRI Cell Signaling, Vedic Research International, Vedic Research, Inc. USA Review DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14259/cs.v1i2.64 Article Info: Received: September 23rd, 2013; Accepted: October 1st, 2013 Keywords: Carcinogenesis, oncogene, tumor suppressor gene, cell signaling, cell division, biomarker, target detection, immunotherapy, vaccine, targeted therapy, gene therapy, apoptosis Copyright © 2013 Vedic Research, Inc. USA. All rights reserved. * Corresponding Author Nivedita Lahiri, PhD Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA Email: niveditalahiri.2008@gmail.com Journal home page at www.VedicJournals.com VRI Cell Signaling, Volume 1, Issue 2, October 2013 eISSN 2330-0302