Genome-based modeling for adjusting radiotherapy dose (GARD)-a significant step toward the future of personalized radiation therapy

Radiation therapy (RT) is an integral part of treatment for the majority of patients diagnosed with cancer in the United States. While significant advancements are being made in radiation oncology technology and physics with increasing utilization of stereotactic techniques, couches with 6° of freedom, and particle beam therapy, radiation oncology lags far behind its medical oncology counterpart with regard to personalized cancer care based on tumor biology and genomics. Specifically, in-depth understanding and subsequent utilization of the concepts of differential individual patient tumor intrinsic radiosensitivity remains elusive. Advancement of this understanding promises to move RT into the realm of personalized medicine where radiation dose, fractionation, and possibly treatment volumes can be individualized based on tumor gene expression profile.