Current Status of Thalidomide in the Treatment of Cancer

In his comprehensive review, Dr. Rajkumar provides a summary of the current status of thalidomide (Thalomid) therapy in cancer. As discussed in the article, it was the teratogenic effects, particularly phocomelia, that prompted researchers to examine thalidomide’s antitumor activity in the 1960s. Although, the results of early phase I trials of thalidomide as an anticancer agent were disappointing, they clearly demonstrated that thalidomide is neither a cytotoxic agent nor a mutagen. The mystery of its teratogenic effect began to unfold after D’Amato et al observed that thalidomide is an inhibitor of angiogenesis.[1] This finding renewed enthusiasm for studying thalidomide as an anticancer agent in the last several years.