Importance of the field: Oesophageal carcinoma has a poor prognosis with a 5-year overall survival rate of only 10 - 20%. The disease is often diagnosed at a late stage, when dissemination may already have occurred, contributing to the poor prognosis. However, recent developments in targeted therapy now offer new possibilities in the treatment arsenal. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) has been demonstrated to protect oncogenic variants of signalling molecules from degradation, thus promoting cell growth and survival. Hsp90 has been found to be abundantly expressed in oesophageal cancer and may serve as a therapeutic target in the treatment of this disease.
Areas covered in this review: We have summarised available data concerning the role of Hsp90 in oesophageal carcinoma as well as available information on other tumour types.
What the reader will gain: To be able to elaborate on the molecular mechanisms of action of Hsp90 and discuss state-of-the-art of clinical trials involving Hsp90 inhibitors in malignancies, with a special emphasis on oesophageal cancer.
Take home message: Preclinical studies on Hsp90 inhibition in oesophageal cancer are promising and it is anticipated that in the near future clinical trials with Hsp90 inhibitors will be initiated also for oesophageal cancer, using the experience from other trials.