The Emerging Clinical Relevance of Genomics in Cancer Medicine

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Clin Oncol

Specialty Oncology

Date 2018 Mar 31

PMID 29599476

Citations 242

Authors

Michael F Berger

Elaine R Mardis

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The combination of next-generation sequencing and advanced computational data analysis approaches has revolutionized our understanding of the genomic underpinnings of cancer development and progression. The coincident development of targeted small molecule and antibody-based therapies that target a cancer's genomic dependencies has fuelled the transition of genomic assays into clinical use in patients with cancer. Beyond the identification of individual targetable alterations, genomic methods can gauge mutational load, which might predict a therapeutic response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors or identify cancer-specific proteins that inform the design of personalized anticancer vaccines. Emerging clinical applications of cancer genomics include monitoring treatment responses and characterizing mechanisms of resistance. The increasing relevance of genomics to clinical cancer care also highlights several considerable challenges, including the need to promote equal access to genomic testing.

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