Biomarkers of response to selective inhibitors of aurora a kinase

A method for identifying a patient having cancer as a candidate for treatment with an Aurora A kinase inhibitor, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a cancer cell sample from the patient;
• b) determining whether any of the WNT pathway genes listed in Table 9 and/or any of the Hippo pathway genes listed in Table 10 contain mutations in comparison to each of the genes' respective wild type sequence;
• and
• c) identifying the patient as a candidate for treatment with the Aurora A kinase inhibitor if the mutation analysis in step b) indicates the presence of a mutation or the presence of several mutations in at least one gene from Table 9 and/or 10.

A method for treating a patient having cancer, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a cancer cell sample from the patient;
• b) determining whether any of the WNT pathway genes listed in Table 9 and/or any of the Hippo pathway genes listed in Table 10 contain mutations in comparison to each of the genes' respective wild type sequence;
• and
• c) treating the subject with an Aurora A Kinase inhibitor if the mutation analysis in b) indicates the presence of a mutation or the presence of several mutations in at least one gene from Table 9 and/or 10.