A new DNA test could one day help doctors find which chemotherapy drugs are most likely to work for their patients, according to research we helped fund.
It works by scanning cancer cells for signs they are sensitive or resistant to three of the most common types of chemotherapy treatments: platinum based, anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy.
With this insight, doctors should be able to give people with cancer the most suitable chemotherapy from the very start of treatment, avoiding side effects from drugs that aren’t likely to work.
As well as helping personalise chemotherapy, the test could also show when people need other types of cancer treatment or should be invited to join clinical trials.
Researchers at our Cambridge Institute designed the test to work using current DNA reading (or genome sequencing) technology, which should make it easier to introduce to standard cancer care. They’re now working with the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and Cambridge company Tailor Bio to validate the test for the next round of clinical trials.
James Brenton, Professor of Ovarian Cancer Medicine at our Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: “Chemotherapy is a mainstay of cancer treatment and saves many lives. Yet in many cases, it has been administered the same way for over 40 years. Sadly, there are too many cases where cancer is resistant to chemotherapy treatment – meaning unpleasant side effects for the patient with limited benefit to them.
“With genomic sequencing now more widely available, we can make some of the most well-established chemotherapies work better. By understanding who is most likely to respond to it, chemotherapy could become a more tailored treatment across different types of cancer.”
Credit: Amal Iman | Cancer Research UK