Cancer treatment has come a long way, but a recent study highlights an even greater opportunity to personalize therapies and reduce harmful side effects.
The research, published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology in November 2024, examined data from a large pool of patients affected by rare disease or cancer and found that a majority of cancer patients have genetic traits that could make them more likely to experience severe side effects from common chemotherapy drugs.
Researchers found that 62.7% of patients studied held an increased, genetically connected risk of an adverse drug reaction when treated with one of five oncology drugs: capecitabine, fluorouracil, mercaptopurine, thioguanine and irinotecan.
The study suggests that pharmacogenetic testing — the genetic analysis of a patient's genes before drug prescription — could help personalize cancer treatment and reduce harmful side effects.
The Promise of Pharmacogenetics
Genetic variations can determine how well a drug works or whether it causes severe side effects. By finding these differences before treatment starts, doctors can adjust therapies for each patient's unique genetic makeup.
