Husna Rahim, PharmD and Jennifer Tovar, PharmD
Exploring the Impact of Pharmacogenomics on Cancer Treatment. What role does pharmacogenomics (PGx) play in shaping personalized cancer treatment plans? PGx examines how genetic differences impact drug response and toxicity. Drugs like herceptin and advancements in genomic testing have ushered in a new era of tailored care for oncology patients.
Herceptin’s pivotal role in tailored breast cancer treatment. Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody specifically utilized in the treatment of HER2-positive breast and stomach cancers (Calvo et al., 2016). It received FDA approval in 1998 and, when used alongside its companion diagnostics, had a pivotal role in initiating tailored cancer treatments. Efforts such as these have evolved a new approach which has led to improved outcomes, reduced side effects, and improved survival rates compared to the traditional one-size-fits-all cancer treatments.
Genomic profiling of tumors can provide valuable prognostic and predictive information. For example, the 21-gene recurrence score assay has been shown to provide prognostic utility in HER2-positive operable breast cancer, helping guide treatment decisions and identify patients who may benefit from chemotherapy (Wellmann, 2018). Liquid biopsy, a non-invasive method of analyzing tumor-derived genetic material in the blood, combined with next-generation sequencing, has emerged as a valuable tool in cancer treatment. It allows for the detection of genetic alterations and monitoring of treatment response over time. For example, circulating tumor DNA evaluated by next-generation sequencing has shown predictive value for tumor response and prolonged clinical benefit in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy (Lai, 2006).
Next generation sequencing pinpoints gene mutations. Genomic profiling of tumors can provide valuable prognostic and predictive information in cancer therapy. For example, the 21-gene recurrence score assay has been shown to provide prognostic utility in HER2-positive operable breast cancer, helping guide treatment decisions and identify patients who may benefit from chemotherapy. These technologies enable oncologists to identify specific genetic mutations and other molecular changes driving cancer growth, which can then be targeted with precision therapies (Wellmann, 2018).
Genetic research paves the way for cancer treatment. By leveraging genetic information to customize therapies, PGx has demonstrated an improvement in the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatments. Continued advancements in genomic technologies are expanding our understanding of the genetic basis of drug response, paving the way for more targeted therapies. Therefore, it is imperative that collaborative research initiatives continue to explore the impact of PGx in optimizing cancer treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes.
Learn more about UGenome’s Personalized Medication Service, ProPEx, or contact UGenome. You can also find case studies for UGenome’s bioinformatics services Metabolite Identification, Bone Metastasis Risk Analysis in Breast Cancer, Survival Analysis with gene signatures in cancer
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