Molecular profiling for personalized cancer care

Abstract

The pace of genomic discoveries in the field of cancer is revolutionizing our understanding of the biological dynamics of cancerous growth and, at the same time, fueling research for newer and smarter cancer therapies to reverse the effects of these alterations. These dynamics are driving a tremendous paradigm shift in cancer diagnostics, drug development and clinical trial design with the hope of eliminating the current structure and approach of cancer care, to one which is driven by the underlying biology of the tumor and, thus highly personalized. Much of this paradigm shift has been fueled by the current availability of novel technologies, platforms and bioinformatic tools. Today, therapies are being rationally designed to target the precise genetic alterations with better clinical outcomes with reduced morbidity. Therefore, molecular profiling of tumors to identify the multiplicity of alterations in a tumor is an essential and necessary companion for targeted therapies.