The increasing unraveling of the molecular basis of cancer offers manifold novel options for intervention strategies. However, the discovery and development of new drugs for potential clinical applications is a tremendously time-consuming and costly process. Translating a novel lead candidate compound into an approved clinical drug takes often more than a decade, and the success rate is very low due to versatile efforts including defining its pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, side effects as well as lack of sufficient efficacy. Thus, strategies are needed to minimize time and costs, while maximizing success rates. A very attractive strategy for novel cancer therapeutic options is the repositioning of already approved drugs. These medicines, approved for the treatment of non-malignant disorders, have already passed some early costs and time, have been tested in humans and are ready for clinical trials as anti-cancer drugs. Here we discuss the repositioning of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), statins, anti-psychotic drugs, anti-helminthic drugs and vitamin D as anti-tumor agents. We focus on their novel actions and potential for inhibition of cancer growth and metastasis by interfering with target molecules and pathways, which drive these malignant processes. Furthermore, important pre-clinical and clinical data are reviewed herein, which elucidate their therapeutic mechanisms which enable their repositioning for cancer therapy and disruption of metastasis.

对癌症分子基础的日益了解为干预策略提供了多种新颖的选择。然而，发现和开发用于潜在临床应用的新药是非常耗时且昂贵的过程。将新的潜在候选化合物转化为批准的临床药物通常需要十多年的时间，并且由于包括定义其药代动力学，药效学，副作用以及缺乏足够疗效在内的各种努力，成功率非常低。因此，需要在最小化时间和成本的同时最大化成功率的策略。一种新颖的癌症治疗选择非常有吸引力的策略是重新定位已获批准的药物。这些已获批准用于治疗非恶性疾病的药物已经花费了一些早期的费用和时间，已在人体中进行测试，并已准备作为抗癌药进行临床试验。在这里，我们讨论了非甾体类抗炎药（NSAID），他汀类药物，抗精神病药，抗蠕虫药和维生素D作为抗肿瘤药的重新定位。我们专注于它们的新作用和通过干扰驱动这些恶性过程的靶分子和途径来抑制癌症生长和转移的潜力。此外，本文回顾了重要的临床前和临床数据，阐明了其治疗机制，使其能够重新定位用于癌症治疗和破坏转移。抗蠕虫药和维生素D作为抗肿瘤药。我们关注它们的新作用和通过干扰目标分子和途径（这些分子驱动这些恶性过程）来抑制癌症生长和转移的潜力。此外，本文回顾了重要的临床前和临床数据，阐明了其治疗机制，使其能够重新定位用于癌症治疗和破坏转移。抗蠕虫药和维生素D作为抗肿瘤药。我们专注于它们的新作用和通过干扰驱动这些恶性过程的靶分子和途径来抑制癌症生长和转移的潜力。此外，本文回顾了重要的临床前和临床数据，阐明了其治疗机制，使其能够重新定位用于癌症治疗和破坏转移。