Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
tumor mutational burden
Also written as: TMB — Tumor Mutational Burden
The total number of mutations present in a tumor's DNA, used as a biomarker for immunotherapy response.
Full Definition
Tumor mutational burden (TMB) represents the total number of somatic mutations present in a cancer cell's DNA, typically measured as mutations per megabase of sequenced DNA. High TMB tumors often respond better to immune checkpoint inhibitors because they produce more neoantigens that can be recognized by the immune system. This biomarker is increasingly used in clinical decision-making for selecting patients who may benefit from immunotherapy treatments.
Usage
Usage note: Often abbreviated as TMB in clinical contexts; ensure consistency in reporting units (mutations per megabase).
In Context
- "The patient's tumor showed a high tumor mutational burden of 15 mutations per megabase, suggesting potential benefit from pembrolizumab." — Clinical pathology report
- "TMB assessment requires comprehensive genomic profiling to accurately quantify the mutation density." — Molecular diagnostic protocol
Also known as
TMB
mutational load
Don't confuse with
tumor mutation frequency
mutation rate