Pharmacogenetic determinants of anti-cancer drug activity and toxicity

Cellular responses to anti-cancer agents result from the interaction betwee n drugs, cellular targets and mechanisms of damage repair. Despite the phar macological advances in the treatment of cancer, the clinical efficacy of c hemotherapy is unpredictable in most patients. However, new information on the genetics of cancer delineates strategies by which the genetic backgroun d of tumour cells and patients might be profiled to select anti-cancer agen ts with improved efficacy and tolerability. This article focuses on the app lication of pharmacogenetics in the characterization of differences in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-cancer agents among individua ls to define the likelihood of response and reduce the incidence of adverse effects.