Targeted Therapy: Precision Drugs Guided by Tumour Biology

Targeted therapies include small-molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies that block specific pathways cancer cells rely on to grow, divide, or spread. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which affects all rapidly dividing cells, targeted drugs are designed to act more selectively on cancer cells carrying a particular alteration.

If your tumour has a targetable alteration, a matched drug may offer meaningful benefit with a different side-effect profile than chemotherapy. Ongoing monitoring helps detect resistance early so treatment can be adjusted.

Comprehensive genomic profiling or single-gene tests on tumour tissue or blood identify relevant mutations, fusions, or protein expression. Repeat testing may be recommended if the cancer progresses, to check for new resistance mutations.

Targeted therapies are used in lung cancer with EGFR or ALK alterations, breast cancer with HER2 overexpression, colorectal cancer with certain RAS/RAF status, chronic myeloid leukaemia, GIST, and many other cancers with identifiable molecular drivers.

Options include oral kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies given by infusion, and antibody-drug conjugates that combine targeting with a chemotherapy payload. Choice depends on the specific biomarker identified and prior treatments received.