From Targeted to Pinpoint: The Implementation of Pharmacogenomics in Clinical Oncology

Abstract

The numerous technological and pharmacological advances of the 20^th century triggered hope throughout the oncological community that cancer would be systematically eliminated. However, since the advent of targeted therapies and the hope elicited from such triumphs as imatinib (Gleevec), the pace of progression has slowed to a crawl. Moving forward, cancer researchers and clinicians must continue to identify the major somatic and germline mutations that underscore the pathogenesis of neoplasia and seek to capitalize on ever-improving sequencing capability to devise new therapies that will achieve cures at higher rates, minimize recurrence, and enhance the tolerability of widely used regimens.