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Overcoming implementation challenges of personalized cancer therapy

Funda Meric-Bernstam1, Gordon B Mills

  • 1Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Unit 1484, Houston, TX 77030, USA. fmeric@mdanderson.org

Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|August 2, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Personalized cancer therapy uses molecular tumor data for tailored treatments. While promising, challenges like heterogeneity and drug availability limit its current broad application.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genomics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Personalized cancer therapy aims to tailor treatments based on individual tumor molecular profiles.
  • The goal is to target specific genetic aberrations driving cancer growth for improved efficacy and reduced toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the principles and current state of personalized cancer therapy.
  • To identify the key challenges hindering the widespread implementation of personalized cancer treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on personalized cancer therapy.
  • Analysis of technological advancements in high-throughput tumor characterization.
  • Evaluation of the expanding landscape of molecularly targeted therapies.

Main Results:

  • Advances in molecular profiling and targeted therapies are making personalized cancer treatment more feasible.
  • Significant challenges remain, including tumor heterogeneity, molecular evolution, biopsy-related issues, drug development gaps, technical limitations, and regulatory hurdles.

Conclusions:

  • Personalized cancer therapy holds significant promise but requires realistic expectations.
  • Current applications offer increased survival for a subset of patients, with broader success contingent on overcoming existing obstacles.

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