What is Precision Medicine?
Precision medicine, also known as “personalized medicine,” uses specific information about a person’s tumor, taking into account factors such as genetic make-up and tumor proteins, to help in diagnosis and tailoring cancer treatment. It also helps assess the prognosis and effect of the treatment on specific cancer types.
Depending on the genetic make-up and protein expression of the cancer, diagnosis and treatment plans are made. For example, in breast cancer, depending on the expression of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) receptors, and HER2 protein on the cancer cells, the treatment of the cancer subtype is adjusted. If the cancer is ER/PR positive, hormonal therapy is used along with chemotherapy. If it is HER2 overexpressed, targeted therapy like Trastuzumab is used.
Precision medicine is being developed and explored in almost all cancers. To name a few, it is available in breast, lung, stomach, colon, pancreatic, ovarian, prostate cancers, etc.
Since treatment is planned based on specific cancer markers, therapeutic agents act specifically on the cancer cells. This type of treatment is also known as targeted therapy. Therefore, the efficacy of the treatment is increased with fewer side effects, as the treatment targets only cancer cells.
Side effects associated with precision medicine depend on the targeted therapy used. As these therapies act specifically on cancer cells, side effects are expected to be lower than those from systemic chemotherapy and can be managed easily. For example, Trastuzumab does not have the chemotherapeutic side effects like nausea, vomiting, hair loss, or cytopenias, but it may have class-specific side effects that can affect the heart in rare cases.