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Using molecular information to guide brain tumor therapy

Nature Clinical Practice Neurology volume 2, pages 232–233 (2006)Cite this article

A deeper understanding of the role of specific genes, proteins, pathways and networks in health and disease, coupled with the development of technologies to assay these molecules and pathways in patients, promises to revolutionize the practice of clinical medicine. We are moving from relatively broad pathologic diagnoses, population-based risk assessments and relatively nonspecific therapies into an era of predictive individualized care based on molecular classification and targeted therapy. Patients with the most intractable diseases seen by neuro-oncologists, such as primary brain tumors, are set to benefit from these developments.

Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children and the second most common cause of cancer death in young adults, and they account for a high proportion of cancer deaths in older adults.1 Patients with glioblastoma—the most common form of malignant primary brain tumor in adults—have a median survival of around 15 months from the time of diagnosis, even with aggressive surgical excision, radiation and chemotherapy.2 New drugs that block specific molecular targets are being developed, and molecular information on clinical samples is becoming a reality. Incorporating these complex molecular data into clinical treatment decisions, however, remains a considerable challenge.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine,

    Paul S Mischel & Timothy Cloughesy

  2. clinical professor of neurology at the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Paul S Mischel & Timothy Cloughesy

Authors
  1. Paul S Mischel
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  2. Timothy Cloughesy
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Correspondence to Paul S Mischel.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Mischel, P., Cloughesy, T. Using molecular information to guide brain tumor therapy. Nat Rev Neurol 2, 232–233 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0145

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