Precision cancer therapy by molecular profiling – A Theoretical Study
The amount of druggable tumor-specific molecular aberrations has increased significantly over the last decade, with biomarker-matched therapies demonstrating a major survival advantage in many cancer forms. Therefore, molecular pathology has been critical not just for tumor detection and prognosis, but also for clinical decision-making in everyday practice. The advent of next-generation sequencing technology and the proliferation of large-scale tumor molecular profiling services through universities worldwide have transformed the area of precision oncology. When systematic genomic studies become more accessible in clinical and laboratory environments, healthcare professionals face the difficult challenge of outcome analysis and translation. This study summarizes existing and future methods to implementing precision cancer medicine, outlining the obstacles and possible strategies for facilitating the understanding and maximization of molecular profiling findings. Beyond tumor DNA sequencing, we discuss innovative molecular characterization techniques such as transcriptomics, immunophenotyping, epigenetic profiling, and single-cell analysis. Additionally, we discuss present and future uses of liquid biopsies for evaluating blood-based biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells and nucleic acids. Finally, the shortcomings of genotype-based treatments give insight into opportunities to extend personalized medicine beyond genomics.