Flora Xydaki: Biomarkers in Oncology – Transforming Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Flora Xydaki, Project Associate at BTHT, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Biomarkers in Oncology: Transforming Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment.
The role of diagnostic and companion diagnostic biomarkers is revolutionizing oncology, offering more personalized and effective cancer care.
Let’s explore their significance:
1. What are diagnostic and companion diagnostic biomarkers?
• Diagnostic biomarkers: These are used to identify the presence of cancer, providing critical insights into tumor type, stage, and molecular characteristics.
• Companion diagnostic biomarkers: These are tools used to determine whether a patient is likely to benefit from a specific therapy, guiding the selection of targeted treatments.
2. Why Are They Crucial in Oncology?
• Diagnostic biomarkers help ensure early and accurate detection of cancers, improving prognosis.
• Companion diagnostic biomarkers enable precision medicine, ensuring patients receive treatments tailored to the molecular profile of their tumors, reducing unnecessary side effects and improving outcomes.
3. Examples of Biomarkers Driving Innovation
• HER2: A Companion diagnostic biomarker for breast cancer, guiding therapies like trastuzumab.
• EGFR: Used to identify non-small cell lung cancer patients likely to respond to EGFR inhibitors.
• PD-L1: Helps determine suitability for immunotherapies like pembrolizumab.
4. The Future of Biomarker Development
Advances in liquid biopsies, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and AI are expanding biomarker utility, making cancer care more precise and accessible. Regulatory agencies like the FDA are increasingly emphasizing companion diagnostic approvals to ensure better outcomes.
Biomarkers like Diagnostic and Companion diagnostic are not just diagnostic tools—they’re the backbone of precision oncology, paving the way for better survival rates and personalized cancer care.
Sources:
– FDA
– American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
– Science Magazine
– QIAGEN
– Foundation Medicine
– Roche
– Thermo Fisher Scientific
– Illumina “
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