At a glance
- Begins with molecular profiling of your tumour.
- Available as oral tablets or day-care infusion, depending on the drug.
- Response is tracked with scheduled imaging and blood work.
Precision medicine
Targeted therapy blocks the specific molecular changes — mutations, fusions or over-expressed proteins — that drive a particular cancer. Examples include EGFR and ALK inhibitors in lung cancer, HER2 antibodies in breast and gastric cancer, BCR-ABL inhibitors in CML, BRAF inhibitors in melanoma and PARP inhibitors in BRCA-mutated cancers.
Testing first
Your tumour tissue (or sometimes a blood sample — liquid biopsy) is tested with next-generation sequencing or IHC/FISH to identify the target. Without the target, the drug will not work — so we never prescribe targeted therapy without the test.
Delivery
Many targeted drugs are oral tablets taken at home with regular monitoring; others (antibodies) are day-care infusions. Response is tracked with scheduled imaging and blood work.