Pharmacogenetics, generally referred to as the study of genetic variation that gives rise to differing response to drugs, is becoming more relevant in the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of cancer patients. The problem faced when treating cancer is the outstanding varied efficacy between success and failure. Unpredictability between a population of patients who are affected with the same occurring malignancy can show varying associated toxicities in drug treatment ranging from zero effect through lethal doses. Since the chemotherapeutic agent is often developed to fit the average patient the unfortunate result is that approximately 40% of patients may be receiving the wrong drug.
However, using pharmacogenetics there are promising advancements in the development of effective agents which will enable personalized cancer chemotherapy to become routine for the clinical practice. This individualization is most advanced in the field of breast cancer; while many breast oncologists are individualizing techniques based on specific profiles, within 10 years it is likely all breast oncologists will be using RT-PCR, FISH-based multiplexed arrays, or a similar testing regime for patient individualization therapy.
Key Features:
- Written by experts in the field while combining information that is unable to be found in a single source volume Pharmocogenetics of Breast Cancer strives to combine a complete overview of pharmacogenetics and how it relates to breast oncology
- for diagnosis, treatment, and the recovery of patients using an individualized therapy model
- Become the first single source resource demonstrating the application of pharmacogenetics in the care of breast cancer patients
- enable physicians a coherent interpretation of the emerging science of parmacogenetics aiding them to incorporate individual therapies in their own practice
- give practical guidance on various forms of specimen collection, tissue selection, and handling procedures
