Personalizing supportive care in oncology patients using pharmacogenetic-driven treatment pathways

Abstract

Cancer patients frequently suffer from disease- and treatment-related pain, nausea and depression, which severely reduces patients’ quality of life. It is critical that clinicians are aware of drug–gene interactions and recognize the utility of applying pharmacogenetic information to personalize and improve supportive care. Pharmacogenetic-based algorithms may enhance clinical outcomes by allowing the clinician to select the ‘least genetically vulnerable’ drug. This review summarizes clinically relevant drug–gene interactions and presents pharmacogenetic-driven treatment pathways for depression, nausea/vomiting and pain. Ideally, this review provides a resource for clinicians to consult when selecting pharmacotherapy for a patient who presents with limited pharmacogenetic test results, with the hope of better controlling burdensome symptoms and improving the quality of life for cancer patients.