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Intermediate Technical In the Industry Vocabulary Test

resistance mutation

A genetic alteration that enables cancer cells to survive and proliferate despite targeted therapy treatment.

Full Definition

A somatic mutation that confers decreased sensitivity to specific therapeutic agents by altering drug targets, activating bypass pathways, or enhancing drug efflux mechanisms. These mutations can be pre-existing (primary resistance) or acquired during treatment (secondary resistance). Understanding resistance mutation patterns guides selection of alternative therapies and combination treatment strategies. Common examples include EGFR T790M in lung cancer and ABL1 kinase domain mutations in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Usage

Usage note: Distinguish between primary (pre-existing) and secondary (acquired) resistance mutations in clinical reporting.

In Context

  • "The T790M resistance mutation was detected in 60% of tumors that progressed on first-generation EGFR inhibitors." — Resistance mechanism study
  • "Serial liquid biopsies tracked emergence of resistance mutations during targeted therapy treatment." — Treatment monitoring protocol

Also known as

drug resistance mutation therapy resistance variant

Contrasted with

sensitizing mutation druggable mutation

Don't confuse with

driver mutation actionable mutation
qPCR ← Back to glossary RNA-seq

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