Biomarkers Help Doctors to Target Cancer Treatment

Posted by Cancer Center at Wise Regional on October 24th, 2019

Doctors rely on biomarkers to determine a patient’s disease or overall health. Biomarkers are measurable substances in the body that could indicate the presence or progression of disease in a patient and their overall health as well. It is important for doctors to know all the details about cancer, especially what’s causing the tumor to grow, before treating patients.

Finding biomarkers in cancer cells has ensured the development of precision medicine such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy. These treatmentvmethods are designed to target particular features in cancer cells while minimizing damage to the healthy cells. Biomarkers in cancer include hormones, proteins, genes aberrations such as mutations, and any other molecules found in cancer cells.

Here are some of the critical roles played by biomarkers in cancer care:

• Cancer Diagnosis – Biomarkers help to confirm the presence of cancer even before the symptoms develop.

• Cancer Prognosis–Biomarkers help to forecast the aggressiveness and progression of cancer and the risk of recurrence.

• Predictive – Biomarkers are used by doctors to help identify how patients will respond to certain drugs.

• Some biomarkers are used by physicians to assess one's risk of developing cancer, how effective treatment is, and whether the treatment is safe for the patient. The most common cancer biomarkers are BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, PSA, HER2, BCR-ABL, PD-L1, CA-125 and MSI-H.

Not every cancer has an identifiable biomarker. Also, identifying a biomarker in cancer does not lead to a treatment option. Some biomarkers do not have corresponding drugs.

Most cancers have more than one biomarker, and the same biomarkers may not be located in every cancer cells. When cancer cells grow, they develop abnormalities that may make the disease more resistant to treatment.

Biomarkers have led to developments in cancer treatment. Patients are now able to make life-saving decisions that help to prevent their cancer. In some patients with the slow-developing disease, they have been able to monitor it actively with regular tests to determine its progression. Research is still being carried out to find new biomarkers that will help to treat other cancers and diseases like Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and heart disease.

About Author

North Texas Cancer Center at Wise, a division of Choice Cancer Care, is now operating as the Cancer Center at Wise Regional and is one of the most renowned cancer treatment centers in Texas.