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Published on: April 11, 2016
Measuring Progress in Precision Oncology
Peter Horak1,2, Stefan Fröhling1,2,3
1Division of Translational Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Summary:
In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Suehnholz and colleagues describe their efforts to quantify the gradual yet steady progress of precision oncology by surveying the regulatory approvals of targeted cancer therapies, and thus the actionability of corresponding molecular alterations in clinical practice, over more than 20 years. Their work also suggests a relationship between the discovery of candidate therapeutic targets through comprehensive tumor profiling and molecularly guided cancer drug development. See related article by Suehnholz et al., p. 49 (5).
Insights
Precision oncology has steadily advanced over 20 years, with regulatory approvals of targeted cancer therapies increasing. This progress links comprehensive tumor profiling to molecularly guided cancer drug development and clinical actionability.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Drug Development
Background:
- Precision oncology aims to tailor cancer treatment to individual molecular profiles.
- Tracking regulatory approvals of targeted therapies provides a metric for clinical progress.
Discussion:
- Suehnholz and colleagues analyzed over two decades of regulatory approvals for targeted cancer therapies.
- This analysis quantifies the increasing actionability of molecular alterations in clinical practice.
Key Insights:
- There is a positive correlation between identifying therapeutic targets via comprehensive tumor profiling and developing molecularly guided cancer drugs.
- The study highlights the growing impact of precision oncology in cancer care.
Outlook:
- Continued advancements in comprehensive tumor profiling are expected to accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic targets.
- Future drug development will likely focus on further integrating molecular insights into clinical decision-making for cancer patients.
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