From Metronomic Chemotherapy to Time-Optimized Cancer Treatments
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 488
Editor
Interests: metronomic chemotherapy; geriatric oncology; combined treatment modalities; novel therapeutic targets; breast cancer; ovarian cancer; prostate cancer; RCC; urothelial cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The concept of time is gaining prominence as a crucial factor influencing the effectiveness, safety, and overall biological impact of cancer treatments. While oncology has traditionally emphasized drug selection and dosage in defining treatment intensity, recent insights underscore the importance of timing and scheduling therapies. Variations in the timing of drug delivery—ranging from continuous low-dose administration to structured, intermittent protocols—have been shown to significantly affect clinical outcomes.
In chemotherapy, the timing of drug administration has long been considered important. Conventional cyclical regimens are designed to balance tumor suppression with healthy tissue recovery. In contrast, metronomic chemotherapy involves frequent administration of low drug doses, aiming to sustain anticancer activity while minimizing toxicity. This strategy can promote anti-angiogenic effects and modulate immune responses. This Special Issue delves into how timing adjustments in chemotherapy can influence tumor progression, side-effect profiles, resistance development, and interactions between tumor and host systems.
Radiotherapy also relies heavily on temporal precision. Treatment variables such as fractionation schedules, treatment intensity, and accelerated protocols can alter how tumors and normal tissues respond to radiation. Articles in this issue will examine the biological and clinical rationale for personalized, time-sensitive radiotherapy strategies, including hypofractionation, adaptive radiotherapy, and high-frequency regimens.
In the field of immunotherapy, timing is increasingly recognized as a key consideration. Extended dosing intervals for immune checkpoint inhibitors, supported by a better understanding of their prolonged immune effects and pharmacokinetics, are allowing for less frequent dosing without compromising therapeutic outcomes. These findings challenge conventional scheduling models and pave the way for more individualized and resource-efficient immunotherapy practices.
Additionally, this Special Issue will feature studies on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug metabolism, and time-dependent treatment responses across various therapeutic modalities. Together, these contributions offer a comprehensive overview of how strategic timing of cancer therapies—including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted treatments—can lead to more effective, patient-centered cancer care.
Prof. Dr. Piotr J. Wysocki
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- metronomic chemotherapy
- time-dependent treatment
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
- pharmacokinetics
- pharmacodynamics
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