With Biomarker Expansion, Combinations and Personalized Medicine Continue to Rise

Source: Targeted Oncology, July 2019

Even as targeted therapies continue to meet regulatory approvals, more and more biomarkers are being used to define cancer more precisely across tumor types. Biomarker expansion has enjoyed a boom since 2006, with patient incidence of positive biomarkers reaching up to 50% in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma and 25% in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, according  to the Global Oncology Trends 2018 report (FIGURE 1).¹ Since 2006, investigators have identified additional biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.

Previously, many tumors were treated with general treatments such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, but now testing for biomarkers is helping oncologists with more personalized treatment selections. Notably, prior to 2006, biomarker expansion was highlighted with patient incidences of biomarkers such as Philadelphia chromosome positivity, seen in up to 95% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia; HER2-negative, HR-positive breast cancer found in up to 53% of postmenopausal patients; and wild-type KRASfound in up to 50% of patients with colorectal cancer.