A cancer treatment can be basically effective but, equally, it may have negative consequences. Hitherto, 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. This has now been shown by the research group led by the cancer surgeon Daniela Kandioler of the University Department of Surgery at MedUni Vienna in 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.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-04-specific-gene-tumor-effectiveness-cancer.html
Specific gene in the tumor determines the effectiveness of cancer treatment