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[Anticancer drug dosing--pharmacogenomic biomarkers or body surface area?]

Gustav Lehne1, Jens Bjørheim, Gunnar Saeter

  • 1Fagområde medikamentell behandling, Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet, 0310 Oslo. gustav.lehne@medisin.uio.no

Tidsskrift for Den Norske Laegeforening : Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin, Ny Raekke
|April 26, 2007
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Individualizing chemotherapy dosing based on DNA variants shows promise but requires more research. Current practice relies on body surface area, with pharmacogenomic markers not yet standard for routine cancer treatment planning.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacogenomics
  • Molecular Medicine
  • Oncology

Context:

  • Chemotherapy dosing is typically based on body surface area, a method with limitations.
  • Narrow therapeutic windows of anticancer drugs increase risks of over- and underdosing.
  • Advances in molecular medicine prompt re-evaluation of current dosing strategies.

Purpose:

  • To review the role of functional DNA variants in anticancer drug response.
  • To assess the current evidence for incorporating pharmacogenomic markers into clinical practice.

Summary:

  • Identified single nucleotide polymorphisms and DNA variants influencing patient response to chemotherapy.
  • Unfavorable DNA variants can lead to severe side effects and suboptimal treatment outcomes.
  • Current knowledge is insufficient for routine genotype-based anticancer drug dosing.

Impact:

  • Highlights the need for prospective, randomized studies to validate pharmacogenomic markers.
  • Emphasizes that body surface area dosing, therapeutic drug monitoring, and clinical surveillance remain the preferred approach for most cancer patients.

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