Pharmacogenetics of Vinorelbine in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Patient

Vinorelbine has recently become an alternative option for palliation in selected pemetrexed-pretreated patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). However, nowadays there are no definitive data about vinorelbine predictors of response in MPM patients. The identification of molecular predictors of effective therapy is important for maximizing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing useless treatment in cancer patients.

In oncology a pharmacogenetic approach to customize the chemotherapy treatment according to individual as well as tumour genetic characteristics represents a modern and intriguing challenge. Recent studies have suggested that the expression levels of class III β-tubulin (TUBB3) or BRCA1, are related to a survival benefit from vinorelbine chemotherapy among patients with advanced solid malignancies, especially non-small cell lung cancer. There are no data about the predictive factors to vinorelbine in MPM patients. The identification of molecular predictors of effective therapy may allow in the future the development of better therapies.