From one-size-fits-all to individualization, precision medicine tailors cancer treatments to the individual
29 May 2024
Precision medicine is regarded as the future trend of cancer treatment, combining a series of basic treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, with advanced science and technology and aiming at individualized and targeted treatments in order to achieve better therapeutic effects and minimize side effects of the treatments, as well as to enable patients to have a better quality of life.
What is precision medicine? According to Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City Clinical Oncologist, Dr. Ivan Shew Yee Siang, it can also be called personalized medicine, or personalized genomics, genomic medicine or precision medicine and refers to the application of patient-specific profiles, combined with genetic and genomic data, as well as clinical and environmental factors to assess individual risk and tailor prevention and disease management strategies.
He explained, the goal of precision medicine is to administer customized and appropriate treatments to patients at the right time by incorporating individual differences in disease, general health, genetics, environment and lifestyle.
“Is it necessary for all cancers to be precisely staged and typed? The answer is No. Precise analysis of cancer must be based on the availability of targeted drugs, otherwise, even if precise analysis has been made and it is useless to the patient's condition because of the lack of targeted drugs.
“In short, precision medicine is to further enhance the three aspects of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In terms of prevention, it is the precise prediction of diseases and precise prevention strategies. In diagnosis, it is the redefinition of diseases and the accurate typing of patients, and in treatment, it is the best drug and the best dose,” he says.
Nowadays, he added, there are different targeted regimens for cancer treatment and these regimens have been clinically proven to be effective with the difference being a slight adjustment in the dosage of the drugs. In other words, he explained, targeted therapies, which are mostly used in stage four are not suitable for everyone, but are targeted at specific patients.
“Longevity is a dream come true for many, but it comes with a price - increased healthcare costs - and especially as a country transitions into an ageing nation, it is necessary to plan ahead, which includes good planning for the future of your life and your finances.
“Take cancer as an example, most of them are related to old age. Therefore, if we want to live healthily in our twilight years or at least to coexist with cancer, it is inevitable that we have to spend money on medical care, which is related to the universal health care system,” he emphasise.
He also advice to the general public that the earlier the presence of cancer is detected and treated, the less costly and more effective the treatment will be and it is important not to avoid seeking treatment, as well as to seek medical advice as soon as possible once a person realize that something is wrong. For patients who have been diagnosed with cancer, he advice, it is recommended that a second opinion be sought and if necessary, the attending physician be asked to bring the condition to the Tumour Boards (TBs).
Source: Sin Chew Daily
