Can patients without targets take erdafitinib? The importance of genetic testing

Erdafitinib is a selective fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor, mainly used to treat patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who carry FGFR2 or FGFR3 gene mutations. Therefore, for patients without FGFR gene mutations, the therapeutic effect of erdafitinib may be poor and may even cause unnecessary side effects. Therefore, before using erdafitinib, patients must undergo genetic testing to determine whether they have suitable target mutations.

Gene testing plays a key role in precision treatment because the mechanism of action of targeted drugs is to specifically inhibit abnormal signaling pathways caused by mutated genes. If the patient's tumor cells do not have FGFR mutations, erdafitinib cannot effectively block the growth signals of cancer cells and thus cannot achieve the expected therapeutic effect. In addition, inappropriate medication may lead to serious adverse reactions, such as hyperphosphatemia, blurred vision, and oral ulcers. Therefore, genetic testing is an important step in formulating personalized treatment plans and can help doctors choose the most effective and safe treatments for patients.

For patients who do not have FGFR mutations, doctors usually recommend other more suitable treatment options, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy or other targeted drugs targeting different targets. There are various treatments for urothelial cancer, including traditional cisplatin or carboplatin chemotherapy, PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other new targeted drugs. Therefore, before using erdafitinib, patients should fully communicate with their doctors and choose the most appropriate treatment plan based on genetic testing results to improve the success rate of treatment and reduce unnecessary side effects.

In general, the use of erdafitinib requires the support of genetic testing, and only patients carrying FGFR mutations can benefit from this drug. For patients without FGFR mutations, blind use of erdafitinib may not bring the expected efficacy, but may increase treatment risks. Therefore, the concept of precision medicine emphasizes "test first, then medication", and finds suitable targets through genetic testing to provide patients with more personalized and efficient treatment plans.

Reference link:https://www.balversa.com/