Targeted therapies also include angiogenesis inhibitors, which prevent the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. By cutting off their blood supply, these drugs can starve the tumor. Bevacizumab (Avastin) is one such drug used in various cancers, including colorectal and lung cancer.

Monoclonal antibodies are another type of targeted therapy. These lab-made molecules can bind to specific targets on cancer cells. For example, rituximab (Rituxan) targets the CD20 protein on B cells and is used to treat certain types of lymphoma.

Signal transduction inhibitors block the signals that tell cancer cells to grow and divide. Drugs like erlotinib (Tarceva) target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer, helping to slow down the disease.