Role of pharmacogenomics in the therapy of cancer (original) (raw)

Although, the field of pharmacy is accepting many challenges for better patient care, the therapy for cancer (chemotherapy) has been remained as a challenge, because of the adverse reactions associated with the drugs. Clinicians and healthcare professionals need to understand how to use genetic biomarkers to personalize cancer therapy using pharmacogenomic studies. In this era of evaluating medicine pharmacogenomics plays a key role in cancer therapy, which involves the study of genetic basis for individual differences in response and adverse effects. most of the patients while undergoing chemotherapy will have "wait and watch " period before the effectiveness of the therapy is assessed, during this period some patients may experience adverse effects which may be life threatening ,while some patients may not. This difference of drug effectiveness is completely based on the patient's genetics. If physicians could predict the higher risk group of patients based on the pharmacogenetic studies, it will result in better prescribing pattern of chemotherapy agents. The genomic studies play an important role in chemotherapy than in any therapy because of the reason that, the tumour's gene determines the effectiveness of the drug and the germ line genomes influences the patient's sensitivity towards toxicity associated with chemotherapy. This review highlights the pharmacogenomic associates that are needed to consider for better prescribing pattern in cancer therapy.