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Breast Cancer

Pharmacodiagnostics and Targeted Therapies—A Rational Approach for Individualizing Medical Anticancer Therapy in Breast Cancer

^aClinical Research, Dako Denmark A/S, Glostrup, Denmark; ^bDepartment of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Key Words. Predictive biomarker • Targeted therapy • Breast cancer • Hormone receptor • HER-2 • TOP2A

Correspondence: Jan Trøst Jørgensen, M.S.Pharm, Ph.D., Clinical Research, Dako Denmark A/S, Produktionsvej 42, DK-2600 Glostrup, Denmark. Telephone: 45-8830-5077; Fax: 45-8830-5998; e-mail: jan.trost{at}dako.com

The selection of therapy for a particular breast cancer patient is traditionally based on average results from randomized clinical trials. Rational pharmacotherapy is in essence about selecting the right drug(s) for the right patient, and in order to guide this selection process pharmacodiagnostic tests are indispensable. A number of tests have been developed or are under development for targeted therapies, such as antiestrogens, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 inhibitors, and topoisomerase inhibitors. Based on a biopsy from the tumor, the tests are able to identify patients with a high probability to benefit from these therapies. The detection of the predictive biomarkers is based on different technologies, such as immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and chromogenic in situ hybridization. Pharmacodiagnostic tests will play an important role in the further development of targeted therapies and may be seen as a prerequisite for the introduction of individualized medicine in oncology.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

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