Modern
medical oncology has introduced various anti-
cancer drugs since the
World War I and II. Unlike for the solid
tumors,
hematological malignancies had been documented some limitations for curing it with chemotherapeutic agents only. In 1960, Dr. Nowell and Dr. Hungerford had discovered elongated
chromosome (
Philadelphia chromosome) which has documented as a product of translocation between 9th and 22nd
chromosome in the
patients with
chronic myeloid leukemia. In 1970s,
immunochemistry technique using
monoclonal antibody has spread world widely and from 1990s,
flow cytometry method has been available. In appreciation of these evolutions in basic
science, the
treatment strategy ofhematological
malignancies has changed from the chemotherapeutic agents to targeted agents. Among the targeted agents, some
drugs are newly developed and others are recreated as anti-
cancer drugs after long-
time of discard because of their toxicities or teratogenic effects. Nowadays, we are in the middle of
flood of targeted agents, for example, tyrosinekinase inhibitors,
epidermal growth factor receptor blockers, farnesyl
transferase inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and etc. In 21st century, the optimal
treatment of
hematological malignancies should follow a tailor- made strategy according to the
patient and
disease itself. In the present article, some representative agents
will be introduced in accordance with target
diseases.