Abstract

A REVIEW ON PHARMACOGENOMICS OF ANTI-CANCER DRUGS

Swati Thakur*, Ananya Chauhan, Rishita, Nikhil Thakur and Shaurya Thakur

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Abstract

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genetic variations affect the response and toxicity of anticancer drugs. It aims to personalize therapy based on an individual’s genotype, and to identify patients who are at risk of adverse drug reactions or poor efficacy. Pharmacogenomics testing can help guide the choice, dose, and schedule of the anticancer drugs, and improve the safety and quality of life of cancer patients. Some examples of pharmacogenomics markers that have been validated and implemented in clinical practice are DPYD, TMPT, UGT1A1, and KRAS. However, there are still many challenges and barriers to the widespread adoption of pharmacogenomics in oncology, such as the lack of standardized guidelines, the cost and availability of testing, the education of physicians and patients, and the ethical and legal issues. Anticancer drugs have a narrow therapeutic window, meaning that they need to be given at the right dose to achieve the maximum benefit without causing serious side effects This review summarises available knowledge on the pharmacogenomics of anticancer medications and proposes areas of opportunity for future breakthroughs in therapeutic customisation in order to improve both drug safety and efficacy. Genes clearly do not function alone thus it is critical to explore genetic factors in conjunction with clinical issues, interacting concurrent medication regimens, and other factors such as the microbiome, all of which might influence drug disposition. Considering all of these characteristics, along with the somatic genome, increases the likelihood of improved predictive accuracy in identifying anticancer treatment response, both efficacy and toxicity.

Keywords: Pharmacogenomics, cancer, genome, variants, drug efficacy, drug safety.