Role of pharmacogenetics as predictive biomarkers of response and/or toxicity in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Predicting response and limiting drug-induced toxicity are 2 important challenges faced by clinicians in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). The introduction of genetic testing to individualize treatment regimens will hopefully allow better response prediction and limit drug-induced toxicity leading to improved patient outcomes. This review discusses the role of the predictive genetic tests associated with the major therapeutic agents used in the treatment of CRC and their clinical significance in the determination of patient-specific treatment regimens.