Point: The Imprecise Pursuit of Precision Medicine: Are Biomarkers to Blame?

Bishal Gyawali, MD

Precision medicine is the concept of tailoring treatment to individual patients based on the presence or absence of certain objectively measurable parameters known as biomarkers. These biological markers can be predictive (ie, tell whether a given drug will work) or prognostic (ie, tell how better or worse the cancer outcomes will be regardless of treatment) or both. Precision medicine (ie, personalized therapy or tailored treatment) has gained enormous popularity because it aims to improve the benefit/risk profile of cancer treatment. Providing the drug only to patients who are likely to benefit and avoiding the drug in those who are not is certainly an attractive concept.