Therapeutic implications of tumor physiology.

The advent of genetic engineering and hybridoma technology has led to the design and large-scale production of various novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. However, these agents have not yet realized their clinical potential, presumably due to physiologic resistance inherent in tumors. An improved understanding of tumor physiology is necessary for development of more effective cancer therapy regimens. This article discusses the physiologic barriers to the delivery of these agents to tumors and some strategies to overcome or exploit tumor physiology for therapeutic benefit.