title: [Targeted therapy: the benefit of new oncological tests].
abstract: An increasing number of targeted drug treatments are becoming available for many types of cancer. There is a great need for adequate biomarkers that can predict the effect of targeted therapy in individual cancer patients, in order to determine the correct oncological treatment per patient. This way, non-effective treatments can be spared, side-effects avoided, and costs reduced. Oestrogen receptor (ER) and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are examples of standardized tests for breast cancer that have been validated in randomised studies. Data from randomised studies is also expected for gene expression profiles that correlate with tumour growth. Quantifying the predictive value of tests for anticipated treatment effects is costly and time-consuming. Given the increasing availability of targeted agents and diagnostic and prognostic techniques, alternative clinical study designs that can lead to quicker and more efficient verification are being sought in many different domains.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, afd. Medische Oncologie, Groningen, the Netherlands. c.p.schroder@umcg.nl
authors.forename: Carolien P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Karel G M
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Moons
authors.forename: E G E Liesbeth
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor