title: Pharmacogenomics in colorectal carcinomas: future perspectives in personalized therapy.
abstract: The recent introduction of new drugs such as capecitabine, irinotecan, and oxaliplatinum has greatly improved the clinical outcome of patients with advanced/metastatic colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, some patients may suffer from the adverse drug reactions which will probably be the main cause of chemotherapy failure. The goal of pharmacogenomics is to find correlations between therapeutic responses to drugs and the genetic profiles of patients; the different responses to a particular drug are due, in fact, not only to the specific clinico-pathological features of the patient or to environmental factors, but also to the ethnic origins and the particular individual's genetic profile. Genes which codify for the metabolism enzymes, receptor proteins, or protein targets of chemotherapy agents often present various genetic polymorphisms. The main aim of this review is to provide an overview of the known polymorphisms present in the genes which codify for factors (thymidylate synthase dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyl-transferase 1A1, enzymes implicated in DNA repair) involved in the action mechanisms of the drugs now utilized in chemotherapeutic treatment of colorectal carcinoma, such as fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan, and platinum agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Palermo, Italy. Lab-oncobiologia@usa.net
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corsale
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cammareri
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Agnese
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cascio
authors.forename: Gaetana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Fede
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macaluso
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bazan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010548:Personal Health Services; D010597:Pharmacogenetics / Q000639:trends*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics