SnapShot: The hallmarks of cancer treatment
Summary
Cancer therapy evolved from cytotoxic chemotherapy to targeted and immune treatments guided by molecular profiling. Early cytotoxic drugs, rooted in mustard-gas observations, remain effective but toxic. Targeted agents exploit oncogenic vulnerabilities yet commonly select resistant clones. Checkpoint inhibitors and engineered modalities (ADCs, BiTEs, CAR-T) yield responses but are limited by toxicity and adaptive antigen loss. Future treatment combinations will require targeting the evolut
Content
# SnapShot: The hallmarks of cancer treatment
*Published: 2026 Apr 16*
Cancer therapy evolved from cytotoxic chemotherapy to targeted and immune
treatments guided by molecular profiling. Early cytotoxic drugs, rooted in
mustard-gas observations, remain effective but toxic. Targeted agents exploit
oncogenic vulnerabilities yet commonly select resistant clones. Checkpoint
inhibitors and engineered modalities (ADCs, BiTEs, CAR-T) yield responses but
are limited by toxicity and adaptive antigen loss. Future treatment combinations
will require targeting the evolution of resistance. To view this SnapShot, open
or download the PDF.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.03.017