Pharmacogenetic tests also play a vital role in oncology, where targeted therapies are increasingly common. New drugs developed for the treatment of breast, colon and lung cancers, gastrointestinal tumors and malignant melanomas require precise genetic profiling to determine which patients will benefit most from these treatments.
The tests required to detect HER2, ALK-EML4, ROS1, PD-L1&2, EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, C-KIT and PDGFRA mutations are performed. Comprehensive sequencing-based tests (CGP and molecular profiling) provide information about the tumor's molecular signature.
These tests have become standard practice before advanced treatments are administered; by tailoring treatment to the tumor's genetic profile, they increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reduce drug-related side effects and toxicity.