title: Pharmacogenetics and pediatric cancer.
abstract: The great advances in therapeutic success for childhood cancers have provided the impetus for strategies to avoid serious systemic toxicities from chemotherapy. This review describes the impact of genetic mutations in drug metabolism pathways on the toxicity of anticancer agents. Although many polymorphisms have been related to toxicity in adults, these associations are less well defined in children. The role of genetic polymorphisms in MTHFR, TYMS, TPMT, and UGT1A1 in influencing drug toxicity is reviewed. Better understanding of the pharmacogenetic determinants of drug metabolism or pharmacologic cofactors may allow for prospective identification of potential patients who are at increased risk for toxicity, allowing for dose optimization and resulting in a decrease in toxic risk while maximizing efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. lboomgaars@txccc.org
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bomgaars
authors.forename: Howard L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: McLeod
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005492:Folic Acid; D008780:Methyltransferases; C022745:thiopurine methyltransferase