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Review

Cancer pharmacogenomics, challenges in implementation, and patient-focused perspectives

Pages 65-77 | Published online: 12 Jul 2016
 

Abstract

Cancer pharmacogenomics is an evolving landscape and has the potential to significantly impact cancer care and precision medicine. Harnessing and understanding the genetic code of both the patient (germline) and the tumor (somatic) provides the opportunity for personalized dose and therapy selection for cancer patients. While germline DNA is useful in understanding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic disposition of a drug, somatic DNA is particularly useful in identifying drug targets and predicting drug response. Molecular profiling of somatic DNA has resulted in the current breadth of targeted therapies available, expanding the armamentarium to battle cancer. This review provides an update on cancer pharmacogenomics and genomics-based medicine, challenges in applying pharmacogenomics to the clinical setting, and patient perspectives on the use of pharmacogenomics to personalize cancer therapy.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge and thank Jeryl Villadolid, PharmD, Levine Cancer Institute, for her assistance in developing .

Disclosure

The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.