Personalizing Supportive Care in Oncology Patients Using Pharmacogenetic-Driven Treatment Pathways

Cancer patients frequently suffer from disease- and treatment-related pain, nausea and depression, which severely reduces patients' quality of life. It is critical that clinicians are aware of drug-gene interactions and recognize the utility of applying pharmacogenetic information to personalize and improve supportive care. Pharmacogenetic-based algorithms may enhance clinical outcomes by allowing the clinician to select the 'least genetically vulnerable' drug. This review summarizes clinically relevant drug-gene interactions and presents pharmacogenetic-driven treatment pathways for depression, nausea/vomiting and pain. Ideally, this review provides a resource for clinicians to consult when selecting pharmacotherapy for a patient who presents with limited pharmacogenetic test results, with the hope of better controlling burdensome symptoms and improving the quality of life for cancer patients.