Precision Oncology: What Is It?
Personalized treatments that transform lives
Precision Oncology: What Is It?
Precision Oncology is an advanced way of treating cancer that uses knowledge about cancer biology and each patient’s genetics. This means that by studying the genes of the tumor, doctors can identify the cancer’s specific weaknesses and personalize the treatment for each individual. This is important because two patients with the same type of cancer may not necessarily receive the same treatment. The goal is to make the treatment as effective as possible, with fewer side effects.
The mission of this approach is simple: “To treat the right patient with the right treatment at the right time.” This brings great hope to cancer patients, as it can help improve their quality of life and increase their chances of overcoming the disease.
Benefits of Precision Oncology
Personalized Precision Oncology spans from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and prognosis. It focuses on understanding the unique characteristics of each disease and each individual, leading to better outcomes and an improved quality of life. Its benefits include:
- More effective and less harmful treatments: By identifying the specific genomic variants of a tumor—formerly called mutations—treatments can be more targeted. This means they affect healthy cells less, reducing the side effects typically associated with aggressive treatments like chemotherapy.
- Better outcomes and prognoses: Precision medicine has proven to be more effective than traditional treatments. By better understanding the tumor’s characteristics, doctors can make more accurate predictions about how the disease will progress and the risk of recurrence.
- Improved quality of life during treatment: Targeted and personalized therapies generally have fewer side effects compared to conventional therapies, allowing patients to maintain their daily routines, continue working, and preserve their independence—which is invaluable.
- Long-term cost savings: While molecular testing may seem expensive at first, it enables the use of more effective treatments from the start, avoiding ineffective and costly therapies. This helps reduce long-term healthcare expenses.
How Do We Apply Precision Oncology at ABC?
In oncology, every tumor is different. That’s why, at ABC Medical Center, care is not based on a standard protocol, but on the unique genomic information of each patient’s cancer. Through advanced molecular studies, we identify specific genomic variants that allow us to select more effective targeted therapies or immunotherapies.
Our approach is supported by the Molecular Tumor Board, a group of experts who analyze each case from multiple disciplines. This collaborative model ensures that every clinical decision is based on the most up-to-date evidence and is tailored to the patient’s specific needs.
Molecular Tumor Board: ABC Cancer Center
At ABC Medical Center, we have a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB), a multidisciplinary group of specialists who thoroughly analyze the genomic profiles of tumors. This board interprets the results of advanced testing to identify specific alterations and propose personalized treatments, such as targeted therapies, immunotherapy, or access to clinical trials. Their approach combines molecular data with the patient’s medical history, cancer type, and the latest scientific evidence.
MTBs are essential in Precision Oncology, as they help address the biological complexity of cancer, identify more effective therapeutic options, and improve clinical outcomes. Several studies have shown that their involvement can increase treatment response rates and patient survival. At ABC, this innovative approach ensures more informed treatment decisions tailored to the unique characteristics of each tumor and each patient.
