The invention relates to biomarkers for determining the prognosis of cancer patients. By determining the level of the biomarker HR23B in the cell or patient, and optionally determining the levels of one or more of the biomarkers HDAC6, LC3 and HSP90, the invention provides a method for determining the susceptibility of a cell or a patient of interest to entering an autophagocytic state upon treatment with a drug. The invention also provides a method of determining susceptibility of a cell or patient to treatment with a drug. Entering an autophagocytic state is thought to be a tumour cell survival mechanism, whereby the tumour cell avoids apoptosis. The methods of the invention may therefore be helpful for determining whether a patient should be treated and for determining the prognosis upon drug treatment.
