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Personalized medicine for metastatic breast cancer

Tom Wei-Wu Chen1, Philippe L Bedard

  • 1aDrug Development Program, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre bDepartment of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Current Opinion in Oncology
|October 8, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Genomic alterations in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) guide targeted therapies. Early trials show promise for novel treatments in specific patient subgroups, necessitating further clinical trials for personalized medicine.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genomics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Advances in DNA sequencing enable identification of genomic alterations in metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
  • Targeted therapies are being developed to exploit these alterations in clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinically relevant genomic alterations in MBC.
  • To summarize clinical data from early-phase trials of novel targeted treatments for MBC.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent advances in DNA sequencing and targeted therapies for MBC.
  • Analysis of early-phase clinical trial data for novel targeted treatments.

Main Results:

  • Targeted agents against PI3K/mTOR, FGFR, HER2, DNA repair, and cell cycle pathways show activity in MBC.
  • PI3K/mTOR pathway drugs are effective in endocrine and trastuzumab-resistant disease.
  • Combinations of targeted agents with standard therapies are under investigation in specific MBC subgroups.

Conclusions:

  • A personalized medicine approach for MBC, involving molecular screening and genotype-targeted treatments, is emerging.
  • Further clinical trials are required to validate the efficacy of genotype-targeted treatments in rare MBC subpopulations.

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