Find what you're looking for by browsing or searching our online archives.
Browse by Category:
Search by keyword:
Categories:
September 2007 Volume 5, Issue 9
Wei Peng Yong, MB ChB, and Federico Innocenti, MD, PhD
The US Food and Drug Administration has recommended changes in the labeling for 6-mercaptopurine, irinotecan, and, most recently, tamoxifen to include pharmacogenetic information on treatment outcome. With the increased availability of pharmacogenetic testing, oncologists are now able to identify individuals at risk for severe treatment toxicity or poor treatment response. However, there are knowledge gaps to fill before rationalized therapy based on pharmacogenetics can be fully integrated into clinical practice. This review gives an overview of pharmacogenetic methods and focuses on the application of pharmacogenetic knowledge in oncology, using the examples of 6-mercaptopurine, irinotecan, tamoxifen, and gefitinib.