{"id":2942,"date":"2023-04-14T09:06:37","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T01:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/365cps.org.sg\/resourcehub\/?p=2942"},"modified":"2023-10-16T12:10:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T04:10:09","slug":"precision-medicine-how-its-leading-the-way-in-cancer-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/365cps.org.sg\/resourcehub\/precision-medicine-how-its-leading-the-way-in-cancer-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Precision Medicine: How It\u2019s Leading the Way in Cancer Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Precision Medicine: How It\u2019s Leading the Way in Cancer Treatment<\/strong><\/p>\n

New frontiers in medicine are moving beyond the \u2018what\u2019 and \u2018why\u2019 of the disease. Increasingly over the last decade, it has become about how diseases can affect different individuals in different ways. A nuanced understanding of individual disease profiles can open doors to more personalised treatment approaches in cancer care. This is where precision medicine comes in.<\/p>\n

Precision medicine: what is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conventionally, most medical treatments are designed as a \u2018one-size-fits-all\u2019 approach, tailored to the average patient.<\/p>\n

This is changing with the emergence of precision medicine. Also known as \u2018personalised medicine\u2019, precision medicine tailors treatment to each individual patient by taking into account the complex differences in their individual disease, general health, genes, environment, and lifestyle.<\/p>\n

This approach has led to a transformation in the way we treat cancer and other diseases, as it allows us to target the right treatment(s) to the right patient at the right time, to improve the patient\u2019s chances of survival and reduce exposure to adverse effects.<\/p>\n

How precision medicine works<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patients with certain subclasses of cancers have genetic profiles that are different from those in other patients, even if they have the same type of cancer.<\/p>\n

For example, not every breast cancer has the exact same gene mutations, so these cancers may not always respond to the same treatment in the same way.<\/p>\n

Recognising such variations in the disease has been critical in helping doctors match the best possible treatments to the right patients. Advances in imaging, staging, cancer mutation profiling and genetic testing have helped doctors identify cancer subtypes more accurately. With this information, doctors can determine the most appropriate, effective and least invasive treatment for the patient\u2019s specific cancer profile, to maximise patient outcomes.<\/p>\n

Besides helping doctors choose the best treatment options for a patient\u2019s individual disease, precision medicine may also help doctors to:<\/p>\n