Precision Medicine
Treating Cancer with an Advanced and Innovative Medical Approach
After decades of research, recent scientific advances have helped oncologists better understand why patients with the same type and stage of cancer respond differently to the same treatments. The best treatments for two patients who have the same type and stage of cancer often varies. Meaning, two patients with stage III breast cancer may not respond to the same treatment regimen in the same way. Taking this fact into account, cancer researchers have searched for a more personalized approach to target and kill cancer cells in each patient.
Understanding Precision Medicine
The goal of precision medicine, also known as targeted therapy, is to provide cancer patients with an individualized approach to their specific cancer by monitoring the genetic changes they have experienced that caused their cancer. Precision medicine creates a genetic profile of a patient’s cancer to better predict the cancer’s behavior. By studying and then interpreting the patient’s the genes, a patient gets the most effective, least toxic treatment to target cancer cells more precisely.
To determine the genetic changes in a patient’s cancer, a sample is taken during a biopsy and spent to a laboratory where a DNA sequencer machine looks for the genetic mutations that may be causing the cancer to grow.
What Treatments Are Used in Precision Medicine?
Oncologists and scientists know that cancer cannot just be treated based on where in the body the cancer originated. Because each patient’s tumor has a specific molecular and genetic makeup, they must receive individualized treatment to have the optimal outcome through a unique combination of cancer therapies.
Precision medicine may involve a combination of individualized treatments, including:
Is Precision Medicine Right for Me?
Because precision medicine is still being researched and scientists have not yet discovered all genetic mutations that can cause cancer, most precision medicine therapies are offered in clinical trials.
To contact one of New Jersey’s best cancer specialists call 844-CANCERNJ or 844-226-2376.
