What Is Precision Medicine for Cancer?

When you are diagnosed with cancer your doctors chart a course for your treatment. But you may not respond to the treatment in the same way as someone else with the same cancer, and doctors didn't always know why. Fortunately, that's changing with precision medicine.

Now, doctors can use information about your family history, environment, lifestyle choices, and your cancer cell's genetic make-up as a roadmap for treatment. For example, if your doctor finds certain genetic mutations, you may qualify for one of a dozen new therapies that target the cancer-causing gene. They may help where other interventions have failed.

By learning more about the genetic changes in your cancer, your doctor can make sure your treatment is headed in the right direction.