Professional
Technical
IVT
tumor mutational burden-low
A tumor classification with fewer than 10 mutations per megabase, typically associated with reduced immunotherapy efficacy.
Full Definition
Tumor mutational burden-low (TMB-low) describes cancers with a mutation frequency below the established threshold for immunotherapy response, generally defined as fewer than 10 mutations per megabase of DNA. These tumors produce fewer neoantigens, making them less recognizable to the immune system and consequently less responsive to checkpoint inhibitor therapy. TMB-low status influences treatment algorithms, often favoring conventional chemotherapy or targeted therapy over immunotherapy in solid tumors.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier. The threshold value may vary by assay platform.
In Context
- "The tumor mutational burden-low result supported first-line chemotherapy over immunotherapy." — Precision oncology report
- "TMB-low tumors typically require alternative therapeutic strategies beyond checkpoint inhibition." — Clinical research protocol
Also known as
TMB-low
low mutation burden
Contrasted with
TMB-high
tumor mutational burden-high
Don't confuse with
tumor mutational burden
mutation load