Radiogenomics: using genetics to identify cancer patients at risk for development of adverse effects following radiotherapy.
Normal-tissue adverse effects following radiotherapy are common and significantly affect quality of life. These effects cannot be accounted for by dosimetric, treatment, or demographic factors alone, and evidence suggests that common genetic variants are associated with radiotherapy adverse effects. The field of radiogenomics has evolved to identify such genetic risk factors. Radiogenomics has two goals: (i) to develop an assay to predict which patients with cancer are most likely to develop radiation injuries resulting from radiotherapy, and (ii) to obtain information about the molecular pathways responsible for radiation-induced normal-tissue toxicities. This review summarizes the history of the field and current research.


CONCLUSIONS
A single-nucleotide polymorphism–based predictive assay could be used, along with clinical and treatment factors, to estimate the risk that a patient with cancer will develop adverse effects from radiotherapy. Such an assay could be used to personalize therapy and improve quality of life for patients with cancer.
Departments of 1Radiation Oncology and 2Dermatology, Preventive Medicine and Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York; Departments of 4Pathology, and 5Genetics and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Sarah L
SL
Kerns
Harry
H
Ostrer
Barry S
BS
Rosenstein
D015415:Biomarkers; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011379:Prognosis; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
D015415:Biomarkers