Examples of more widely used established and emerging tests that may predict response to cancer treatment22–28
| Test | Method | Potential treatment | Example tumour type |
| Oestrogen receptor status | IHC | Antioestrogens, for example, tamoxifen and anastrozole | Breast cancer |
| Progesterone receptor status | IHC | Antioestrogens, for example, tamoxifen and anastrozole | Breast cancer |
| HER-2 receptor status | IHC | HER-2 receptor blocking monoclonal antibodies, for example, trastuzumab | Breast and OG cancer |
| HER-2 gene amplification status | ISH | HER-2 receptor blocking monoclonal antibodies, for example, trastuzumab | Breast and OG cancer |
| PD-1 expression status | IHC | Immunotherapy, for example, pembrolizumab | Various, for example, NSCLC |
| PD-L1 expression status | IHC | Immunotherapy, for example, atezolizumab | Various, for example, bladder carcinoma |
| DNA MMR status | IHC | Immunotherapy (also predicts resistance to conventional chemotherapy in CRC—5-fluorouracil) | Various, for example, CRC |
| ALK expression status | IHC | ALK inhibitors, for example, crizotinib | NSCLC |
| ALK gene mutation status | M | ALK inhibitors, for example, crizotinib | NSCLC |
| KRAS gene mutation status | M | EGFR-blocking monoclonal antibodies, for example, cetuximab | CRC |
| MSI status | M | Immunotherapy (also predicts resistance to conventional chemotherapy in CRC—5-fluorouracil) | Various, for example, CRC |
| EGFR gene mutation status | M | EGFR-blocking monoclonal antibodies, for example, erlotinib | NSCLC |
| NRAS gene mutation status | M | EGFR-blocking monoclonal antibodies, for example, cetuximab | CRC |
| BRAF gene mutation status | M | EGFR-blocking monoclonal antibodies, for example, cetuximab (in CRC) | Malignant melanoma, NSCLC, CRC |
| KIT and PDGRFA gene mutation status | M | Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, for example, imatinib | GIST |
| Oncotype DX | M | Conventional chemotherapies | Breast carcinoma |
CRC, colorectal cancer; GIST, gastrointestinal stromal tumour; IHC, immunohistochemistry; ISH, in situ hybridisation; M, molecular methods based on analysis of DNA (or RNA—for Oncotype DX) extracted from paraffin blocks; MMR, mismatch repair enzyme; MSI, microsatellite instability; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; OG, oesophagogastric; PD-1, programmed death-1; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1.