Companion diagnostic testing for targeted cancer therapies: an overview. 2013

Yao-Shan Fan
Cytogenetics and Molecular Diagnostic Lab, Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA. yfan@med.miami.edu

Genes and their products involved in the biological pathways of human cancers have been studied as either targets of new therapies, or predictive markers for the sensitivity of or resistance to the therapies. Companion diagnostic testing on biological markers for targeted cancer therapies has become a vital component of personalized cancer treatment. This article provides an overview on the biological pathways and biomarkers, including EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, ALK, ROS1, HER2, and KIT for targeted treatment of lung, gastrointestinal, colorectal, and breast cancers as well as malignant melanoma. The current testing approach appears to focus on single biomarkers. However, a comprehensive approach that includes testing multimarkers involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B, and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways may become more desirable for some cancers, because of therapy resistance that can be caused by mutations in different genes and the availability of new therapies that may aim at multiple targets in the pathways. Only a few companion diagnostic kits have been approved by FDA, and the use of an FDA approved kit for some biomarkers, such as BRAF and KRAS, can be controversial.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009154 Mutation Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations. Mutations
D009369 Neoplasms New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms. Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D005260 Female Females
D005820 Genetic Testing Detection of a MUTATION; GENOTYPE; KARYOTYPE; or specific ALLELES associated with genetic traits, heritable diseases, or predisposition to a disease, or that may lead to the disease in descendants. It includes prenatal genetic testing. Genetic Predisposition Testing,Genetic Screening,Predictive Genetic Testing,Predictive Testing, Genetic,Testing, Genetic Predisposition,Genetic Predictive Testing,Genetic Screenings,Genetic Testing, Predictive,Predisposition Testing, Genetic,Screening, Genetic,Screenings, Genetic,Testing, Genetic,Testing, Genetic Predictive,Testing, Predictive Genetic
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000970 Antineoplastic Agents Substances that inhibit or prevent the proliferation of NEOPLASMS. Anticancer Agent,Antineoplastic,Antineoplastic Agent,Antineoplastic Drug,Antitumor Agent,Antitumor Drug,Cancer Chemotherapy Agent,Cancer Chemotherapy Drug,Anticancer Agents,Antineoplastic Drugs,Antineoplastics,Antitumor Agents,Antitumor Drugs,Cancer Chemotherapy Agents,Cancer Chemotherapy Drugs,Chemotherapeutic Anticancer Agents,Chemotherapeutic Anticancer Drug,Agent, Anticancer,Agent, Antineoplastic,Agent, Antitumor,Agent, Cancer Chemotherapy,Agents, Anticancer,Agents, Antineoplastic,Agents, Antitumor,Agents, Cancer Chemotherapy,Agents, Chemotherapeutic Anticancer,Chemotherapy Agent, Cancer,Chemotherapy Agents, Cancer,Chemotherapy Drug, Cancer,Chemotherapy Drugs, Cancer,Drug, Antineoplastic,Drug, Antitumor,Drug, Cancer Chemotherapy,Drug, Chemotherapeutic Anticancer,Drugs, Antineoplastic,Drugs, Antitumor,Drugs, Cancer Chemotherapy
D014408 Biomarkers, Tumor Molecular products metabolized and secreted by neoplastic tissue and characterized biochemically in cells or BODY FLUIDS. They are indicators of tumor stage and grade as well as useful for monitoring responses to treatment and predicting recurrence. Many chemical groups are represented including HORMONES; ANTIGENS; amino and NUCLEIC ACIDS; ENZYMES; POLYAMINES; and specific CELL MEMBRANE PROTEINS and LIPIDS. Biochemical Tumor Marker,Cancer Biomarker,Carcinogen Markers,Markers, Tumor,Metabolite Markers, Neoplasm,Tumor Biomarker,Tumor Marker,Tumor Markers, Biochemical,Tumor Markers, Biological,Biochemical Tumor Markers,Biological Tumor Marker,Biological Tumor Markers,Biomarkers, Cancer,Marker, Biochemical Tumor,Marker, Biologic Tumor,Marker, Biological Tumor,Marker, Neoplasm Metabolite,Marker, Tumor Metabolite,Markers, Biochemical Tumor,Markers, Biological Tumor,Markers, Neoplasm Metabolite,Markers, Tumor Metabolite,Metabolite Markers, Tumor,Neoplasm Metabolite Markers,Tumor Markers, Biologic,Tumor Metabolite Marker,Biologic Tumor Marker,Biologic Tumor Markers,Biomarker, Cancer,Biomarker, Tumor,Cancer Biomarkers,Marker, Tumor,Markers, Biologic Tumor,Markers, Carcinogen,Metabolite Marker, Neoplasm,Metabolite Marker, Tumor,Neoplasm Metabolite Marker,Tumor Biomarkers,Tumor Marker, Biochemical,Tumor Marker, Biologic,Tumor Marker, Biological,Tumor Markers,Tumor Metabolite Markers
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014486 United States Food and Drug Administration An agency of the PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE concerned with the overall planning, promoting, and administering of programs pertaining to maintaining standards of quality of foods, drugs, therapeutic devices, etc. Food and Drug Administration (U.S.),USFDA,Food and Drug Administration,United States Food, Drug Administration

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