Frontiers in Cancer Endocrinology

The " Classical Endocrinology " is the fascinating world of endocrine glands, their specific hormones and their diseases. This encapsulates the integration of developmental events such as the proliferation, growth, and differentiation of tissues and organs and the coordination of many physiological functions, such as metabolism and reproduction, by chemical substances synthesized and secreted by specialized cells. A modern view of Endocrinology requires, in our opinion, a more detailed sight in the field not only of endocrine glands and their diseases, but also of the multitude of organs and cells involved, influenced and eventually controlled by large intricate pathways of signaling activated by a very heterogeneous group of substances targeting a wide spectrum of receptors and cells throughout the body. Therefore, today " Cancer Endocrinology " necessarily means focusing on all endocrine tumors from classical ones, such as pituitary, thyroid , parathyroid, adrenal, and neuroendo-crine tumors, to types of cancer in which endocrine hormones seem to play a relevant role such as breast, prostate, ovaries, colon, and liver tumors and probably many others. As such Cancer Endocrinology should now be of particular interest for experimental, preclinical, and clinical researchers. Cancer Endocrinology now encompases the following issues: identification of a definitive role for new laboratory tests and radiological techniques in diagnosis; identification of specific molecular patterns of tumorigen-esis, which could allow development of new directions in the field of pharmacotherapy research; combined treatment with conventional treatment options and new molecules in preclinical evaluation; synergy between chemotherapy and other anticancer modalities , including radiotherapy, immuno-therapy, and gene therapy; discovery of new biomarkers to predict response or resistance to drug treatment or to guide the follow-up of treated patients. Examples of developments in cancer endocrinology include the role of soma-tostatin (SSTR) and dopamine receptors (DR) as molecular targets for the treatment of patients with pituitary adenomas and neuroendocrine tumors: this has received great attention and is leading to innovative new therapies. The evidence of expression of subtypes of SSTR and DR, as well as of co-expression of these receptors in tumor cells, has increased the development of new experimental drugs, including novel ana-logs, binding to multiple SSTR subtypes, as well as hybrid somatostatin–dopamine compounds. These advances have opened new perspectives for the medical treatment of pituitary and neuroendocrine tumors poorly responsive to conventional therapies and probably also for the treatment of other tumor types. Pasireotide (SOM230), a novel somatostatin analog with a peculiar …