Precision medicine in oncology: A new era of cancer care

Cancer is now seen as a diverse group of diseases, each driven by unique genetic and molecular abnormalities. This has led to the rise of precision medicine in oncology, which seeks to tailor cancer treatments to the individual genetic make-up of each patient’s tumour. This approach has the potential to revolutionise cancer treatment by offering more effective and less toxic therapies.

Precision medicine relies on three main components. First, genomic testing identifies mutations and other genetic changes in tumour cells, providing insights into the specific characteristics of a patient’s cancer. Second, targeted therapies disrupt the molecular pathways that drive cancer growth and survival, based on the genetic abnormalities identified through genomic testing. Third, biomarkers predict a patient’s response to treatment, further enhancing the precision of therapeutic interventions.

There have been numerous success stories with precision medicine, such as imatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia, EGFR inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer and PARP inhibitors for ovarian cancer.

However, there are challenges ahead, including the cost and accessibility of genomic testing and targeted therapies, tumour heterogeneity, and resistance to targeted therapies among cancer cells. Despite these challenges, the ongoing commitment to research and development in precision medicine holds the promise of even more effective and personalised treatments, offering hope for a future where cancer is a manageable chronic disease rather than a death sentence.

(The author is Senior Director - Medical Oncology and Hemato Oncology, Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru)