Repurposed Drugs in Cancer Care

Cancer is a disease that has perplexed, evaded, and devastated. The pharmaceutical industry has been desperately searching for a drug to satisfy the seemingly unattainable: a silver bullet for cancer. Cancer is not a singular entity but a diverse group of diseases with complex genetic, molecular, and environmental underpinnings. This complexity necessitated a shift from seeking a singular “magic bullet” cure to developing a multi-faceted approach. 

Considering the heavy resource burden of clinical drug development, researchers are increasingly interested in discovering if already approved drugs may have some use in the complex case of cancer. With a little over 1,000 approved cancer drugs listed in the United States and Europe,1 there is no shortage of different pharmaceutical options to treat cancer. People refer to the use of drugs for purposes other than their FDA-approved indications as off-label use. The term for these drugs now gaining favor is “repurposed drugs.” 

With widespread access to cancer research studies and anecdotal stories through Internet searches and social media, people with cancer are becoming increasingly proactive in exploring all available treatment options. This trend has spurred grassroots adoption of complex supplement regimens and repurposed drug protocols. The fact that there is some evidence for various repurposed drugs to improve cancer outcomes makes it tempting for individuals to assume these drugs will help their cancer. When facing a dire cancer diagnosis and presented with a potential option, the hope for success may overshadow the specifics of the evidence. 

As providers of an evidence-based cancer resource for people with cancer seeking a whole-person approach to care, we aimed to gather insights from research, clinicians, and patients to shed light on these developments.

Read the full article on CancerChoices.org

Originally published January 2025