precision oncology

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

an approach to cancer treatment that tailors therapy to the specific molecular, genetic, and immunological characteristics of an individual patient's tumour, moving beyond the traditional classification of cancers by tissue of origin toward a molecular taxonomy that identifies targetable drivers of tumour growth; precision oncology encompasses comprehensive genomic profiling of tumours to identify actionable mutations, the use of targeted therapies designed to inhibit specific molecular pathways — such as EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer or BRAF inhibitors in melanoma — and the matching of patients to clinical trials based on their tumour's molecular profile rather than its anatomical site; basket trials, which enrol patients across tumour types based on a shared molecular alteration, and umbrella trials, which test multiple targeted therapies within a single tumour type stratified by molecular subgroup, represent the clinical research frameworks through which precision oncology identifies and validates new treatment strategies; challenges include tumour heterogeneity, the evolution of resistance, and the equity dimensions of access to expensive targeted therapies