2018 Volume 88 Issue 1 Pages 1-5
Precision cancer medicine is a medical practice that optimizes therapy, predicts prognosis, and prevents the onset of diseases through the use of genomic information from cancer tissues. Recent progress in comprehensive genetic analyses using next generation sequencing and various molecular targeted drugs for cancers with specific mutations have enabled us to use precision cancer medicine. When comprehensive genetic analyses are performed on cancer cells, many genetic mutations will be revealed. Among them, driver mutations in known therapeutic targets should be identified. For this purpose, the knowledge of bioinformatics is necessary. Furthermore, bioinformatics provides unintentional, secondary findings in about one in 10 people. Therefore, pre- and post-genetic counselling would be required. In conclusion, the use of precision cancer medicine should involve a team, so that it is implemented with correct understanding of the benefits obtained and the disadvantages that may occur due to comprehensive genome analyses.
