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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

A Brain Tumor/Organotypic Slice Co-culture System for Studying Tumor Microenvironment and Targeted Drug Therapies
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Determining If a Somatic Tumor Mutation Is Targetable and Options for Accessing Targeted Therapies

Suanna Steeby Bruinooge1, Shimere Sherwood1, Stephen Grubbs1

  • 1American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Journal of Oncology Practice
|August 7, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Targeted cancer therapies offer personalized treatment by targeting specific molecular pathways. This guide helps clinicians identify actionable tumor mutations and access relevant targeted drugs or biologics.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Targeted cancer therapies are precision medicines that interfere with specific molecular pathways driving cancer cell growth.
  • Effective use of targeted agents necessitates molecular testing to identify relevant biomarkers in a patient's tumor.
  • Clinically actionable genomic mutations are those linked to treatment response or resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To guide clinicians in determining if a specific tumor mutation is treatable with available targeted therapies.
  • To provide information on accessing marketed or investigational drugs and biologics for actionable genomic alterations.
  • To bridge the gap between genomic testing results and personalized cancer treatment strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on targeted cancer therapies and molecular diagnostics.
  • Analysis of the relationship between genomic mutations and drug efficacy.
  • Guidance on navigating access to targeted treatment options.

Main Results:

  • Identification of specific molecular pathways targeted by approved and investigational drugs.
  • Correlation between actionable genomic alterations and predicted treatment benefit.
  • Framework for accessing targeted therapies based on molecular profiling.

Conclusions:

  • Molecular testing is crucial for identifying patients who can benefit from targeted cancer therapies.
  • Actionable tumor mutations provide opportunities for personalized treatment with specific drugs or biologics.
  • This resource aims to facilitate informed clinical decision-making for targeted therapy selection and access.

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