Pharmacogenetic Considerations for Irinotecan Therapy

Pharmacogenetic testing provides a valuable tool for personalizing irinotecan therapy, which is often used to treat pancreatic cancer, as well as many others such as colorectal cancer. Genetic variability in Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1), which contributes to the metabolism of irinotecan, has been shown to significantly influence the risk of experiencing severe toxicity. Emerging evidence has demonstrated assessing patients for genetic variation in UGT1A1 can help to minimize adverse effects and clinical guidelines for genotype-guided irinotecan dosing are available.