The Precision Oncology Approach to Molecular Cancer Therapeutics Targeting Oncogenic Signaling Pathways is a Means to an End

Cancer is a fatal genetic disease with different aspects of complexity, including cancer immune evasion, treatment resistance and recurrence, requiring optimized treatment for proper cure. Molecular studies have revealed that tumors are hugely heterogeneous in nature, leading to the complexity of cancer progression that is ultimately linked to its genetic machinery. In recent decades, there has been a deluge in the large-scale production of anticancer agents, primarily due to advances in genomic technologies enabling precise targeting of oncogenic pathways involved in disease development. It is important to note that patients with the same types of cancer respond differently to cancer treatments, indicating the need for patient-specific treatment options. An in-depth genomic study of tumors will be needed to fully understand the driving factors of cancer initiation and progression for effective targeted therapy. Precision oncology has evolved as a form of cancer therapy focused on genetic profiling of patients’ tumors to identify molecular alterations involved in cancer manifestation for tailored individualized treatment of the disease. This article aims to briefly explain the foundations and frontiers of precision oncology and review the tools and techniques involved in the process to assess its scope and importance in achieving effective cures against cancer.

癌症是一类致命的遗传性疾病，兼具多维度复杂性，涵盖肿瘤免疫逃逸（cancer immune evasion）、治疗耐药（treatment resistance）与复发等特征，亟需优化治疗方案以实现彻底治愈。分子生物学研究表明，肿瘤本质上具有高度异质性，这使得癌症进展过程充满复杂性，而该复杂性最终与肿瘤的遗传机制息息相关。近数十年来，抗癌药物的大规模研发产出呈井喷之势，这主要得益于基因组技术（genomic technologies）的进步，使得研究者能够精准靶向疾病发生过程中的致癌通路（oncogenic pathways）。值得注意的是，即便罹患同一类型癌症的患者，其对癌症治疗的响应也存在显著差异，这凸显了开发个体化治疗方案的必要性。为充分阐明癌症发生与进展的驱动因素，以实现高效的靶向治疗（targeted therapy），亟需对肿瘤开展深入的基因组学研究。精准肿瘤学（Precision Oncology）作为一种癌症治疗模式应运而生，其核心是对患者肿瘤进行基因组谱分析（genomic profiling），以识别与癌症发生相关的分子改变（molecular alterations），从而为患者定制个体化的疾病治疗方案。本文旨在简要阐述精准肿瘤学的基础内涵与前沿进展，并综述该领域所涉及的各类工具与技术，以评估其在实现癌症有效治愈方面的应用前景与重要价值。