A molecular assay of tumor radiosensitivity: a roadmap towards biology-based personalized radiation therapy

The last two decades have seen technological developments that have led to more accurate delivery of radiation therapy (RT), which has resulted in clinical gains in many solid tumors. However, a fundamental question and perhaps the next major hurdle is whether biological strategies can be developed to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of RT. This article addresses the development of a novel genomics-based molecular assay to predict tumor radiosensitivity, and proposes that this assay may prove pivotal in the development of biologically guided RT.