Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics as New Tools to Optimise Cancer Chemotherapy

Pharmacogenetics takes into account the individual variability of the genome and its relationships with drug activity. Numerous gene polymorphisms occurring at the level of drug metabolising enzymes, drug transporters or drug targets have been identified; they may be responsible for an alteration of the phenotype, and of individual changes in drug efficacy and/or toxicity. Pharmacogenomics takes into account the genetic alterations present in tumours and their role in drug activity. It may be possible to establish correlations between the activity of a drug and the level of expression of tumour genes, and thus select the most appropriate drugs to prescribe for the treatment of individual tumours. Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics are acting synergistically for the personalisation of treatments, on the basis of the constitutive singularity of patients and of the molecular characteristics of tumours.