Abstract

Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) has emerged as a crucial biomarker in the field of oncology, particularly for predicting patient responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). TMB quantifies the number of mutations within a tumor’s DNA, reflecting its potential to generate neoantigens that can enhance immune recognition. This article reviews the significance of TMB in guiding immunotherapy decisions, exploring its measurement techniques, clinical implications, and associations with treatment outcomes across various malignancies. While high TMB is generally linked to improved responses to ICIs, challenges such as variability in measurement standards and the influence of additional factors complicate its clinical application. This review underscores the importance of TMB in personalized medicine and advocates for further research to refine its use as a predictive biomarker, ultimately aiming to optimize therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.