Specific gene in the tumor determines the effectiveness of cancer treatment

A cancer treatment can be basically effective but, equally, it may have negative consequences. Therefore, it has not been possible to determine prior to treatment whether a patient will benefit from standard cancer treatment or not. However, a specific gene, which is frequently mutated in cancer, seems to determine the effectiveness of the treatment, researchers show after a large study conducted with colorectal cancer patients. The main finding: the effect of standard chemotherapy was dependent upon whether the TP53 gene in the tumor was mutated or not.