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Research Article Volume 17 Issue 1
Breaking the targeted monotherapy myth: evolving precision medicine for heterogeneous cancers
Chen Yeh, Xavier Breen
OncoDxRx, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Received: March 09, 2026 | Published: March 18, 2026
Citation: Yeh C, Breen X. Breaking the targeted monotherapy myth: evolving precision medicine for heterogeneous cancers. J Cancer Prev Curr Res. 2026;17(1):26‒30. DOI: 10.15406/jcpcr.2026.17.00602
Abstract
Precision oncology has revolutionized cancer treatment by targeting specific molecular alterations driving tumor growth. However, a fundamental limitation persists: no single “therapeutically actionable” biomarker is universally expressed by all tumor cells within a given cancer type. This intratumoral heterogeneity ensures that even highly effective targeted therapies leave residual disease, leading to therapeutic resistance and relapse. While precision monotherapy can induce deep initial responses, resistance mechanisms and clonal evolution allow tumor subpopulations to survive and repopulate. The persistence of residual disease following monotherapy underscores the critical need for innovative approaches that address tumor heterogeneity and optimize combination therapy strategies. Future directions include adaptive therapy regimens, guided by real-time molecular monitoring, and the development of polypharmacological agents capable of multi-target inhibition. Ultimately, overcoming therapeutic resistance requires a paradigm shift from monolithic targeting to dynamic, systems-based approaches that account for the evolving nature of cancer.
Keywords: Targeted monotherapy, therapeutically actionable biomarker, tumor heterogeneity, combination therapy, precision oncology
©2026 Yeh, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.