One phrase—precision oncology—is fast growing in significance on the shifting terrain of cancer treatment. This sentence marks a fundamental shift in our attitude to cancer treatment from a one-size-fits-all concept to highly tailored solutions. Leading this transformation at IOCI, we are giving our patients less dangerous and more successful treatments by applying precision oncology.
Beyond the Generic Approach
For decades, treatment for cancer sometimes relied on broad categories and accepted rules for specific cancer types. Though many lives have been saved by these methods, they did not always take into account the unique genetic makeup of every cancer in every patient. This meant that a medicine fit for one patient with, say, lung cancer would not be as helpful for another even if two patients had the same diagnosis.This highlights the complexity of What is cancer and its types and the need for tailored approaches.
Oncology with precision questions this paradigm. This approach stresses on the awareness of the specific genetic and molecular characteristics of a personal cancer. Think of it as a very clever detective story: precision oncology aims to understand the "fingerprint"—that is, the distinct genetic abnormalities, protein expressions, and cellular pathways causing cancer's development instead of only identifying the "villain"—cancer. Once this unique fingerprint is discovered, drugs can be tailored to target these specific abnormalities, sparing most of all healthy cells.
How is precision oncology applied?
The mainstay of precision oncology is improved diagnostic tools, mostly genetic sequencing and molecular testing. Once a patient learns they have cancer, their tumor—or sometimes blood—is investigated to map their genetic profile. This means looking for specific gene mutations, fusions, or amplifications thought to drive cancer development or response to specific treatments.
For example, if a patient's lung cancer turns out to have a specific EGFR mutation, they might be eligible for a targeted treatment meant especially to stop the function of that mutation. Likewise, the presence of specific biomarkers in a tumour may indicate a good likelihood of immunotherapy response. This is far different from traditional chemotherapy, which often targets fast dividing cells generally and generates more general side effects.
- Treatments specifically meant to target the specific flaws of the patient's cancer raise their chances of success by this very concentrated approach.
- Often, sparing healthy cells helps patients to have less and less severe side effects than with conventional treatments.
- Eliminating treatments doubtful to benefit the patient and quickly switching to more promising alternatives helps clinicians make more informed decisions.
Effects on Cancer Treatment and Survival Rates
The rise of precision oncology is transforming cancer treatment side effects and recovery, as well as significantly impacting overall Stomach cancer survival rate in India, particularly in certain difficult-to-treat cancers. Customised treatment lets doctors offer therapies not only more successfully but also better quality of life both during and after treatment. Recovering from cancer calls for lessening of the long-term consequences of treatment than does only disease eradication. With its targeted approach, this depends much on precision in oncology.
We at IOCI include precision oncology into our patient therapy using creative genomic profiling and molecular diagnostics. This helps us to provide the patient access to relevant clinical trials, immunotherapies, and targeted treatments depending on their particular cancer pattern. We promise to give hope and advanced solutions for even the most challenging diagnosis, so turning these scientific discoveries into actual benefits for our patients.
Consult us at any of our locations—across IOCI Noida, Greater Noida, Mumbai, Indore, Aurangabad, Agartala, Saharanpur, Kanpur and Jodhpur.