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Updated: Oct 22, 2025

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
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Evolutionary Mechanisms of Cancer Suggest Rational Therapeutic Approaches

Alessio Balzerano1, Elena Paccosi1, Luca Proietti-De-Santis1

  • 1Unit of Molecular Genetics of Aging, Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.

Cytogenetic and Genome Research
|August 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Personalized cancer therapy faces challenges from tumor evolution and drug resistance. Advanced sequencing technologies help profile tumors, aiding in predicting recurrence and tailoring treatments for individual patients.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Personalized medicine aims to tailor cancer treatments to individual patients by identifying specific mutations.
  • Intratumor heterogeneity and clonal evolution are significant obstacles, often leading to drug resistance.
  • Understanding cancer evolution is crucial for predicting treatment outcomes and recurrence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the challenges in personalized cancer medicine, particularly intratumor heterogeneity and clonal evolution.
  • To emphasize the role of next-generation sequencing in profiling cancer (epi)genomic landscapes.
  • To underscore the need for a deeper understanding of cancer evolution for improved therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current challenges in personalized cancer therapy.
  • Discussion of the impact of intratumor heterogeneity and clonal evolution on drug resistance.
  • Highlighting the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in cancer diagnostics.

Main Results:

  • Intratumor heterogeneity and clonal evolution are major barriers to effective personalized cancer medicine.
  • Next-generation sequencing provides powerful tools for analyzing cancer (epi)genomic profiles.
  • Accurate prediction of cancer recurrence post-chemotherapy remains a significant challenge.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive understanding of cancer evolution is essential for developing effective personalized therapeutic approaches.
  • Advanced genomic profiling is key to overcoming drug resistance and improving patient outcomes.
  • Further research into cancer evolution mechanisms is necessary to refine treatment strategies.
Keywords:
Cancer (epi)genomic landscapesCancer evolutionCirculating tumor DNAIntratumor heterogeneityLiquid biopsy

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