The US National Library of Medicine says “although the term ‘precision medicine’ is relatively new, the concept has been a part of healthcare for many years. For example, a person who needs a blood transfusion is not given blood from a randomly selected donor; instead, the donor’s blood type is matched to the recipient to reduce the risk of complications. Although examples can be found in several areas of medicine, the role of precision medicine in day-to-day healthcare is relatively limited. Researchers hope that this approach will expand to many areas of health and healthcare in coming years.”
We are on the beat to find and report just what is happening now in Precision Medicine. Look for this on going report each month as we find articles, commentary, interviews, and events of interest on Precision Medicine. Read more posts on Precision Medicine and follow the hashtag #PrecisionMedicine.
Precision Medicine Initiative
The National Library of Medicine also tells us the “Precision Medicine Initiative is a long-term research endeavor, involving the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and multiple other research centers, which aims to understand how a person’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle can help determine the best approach to prevent or treat disease.” The Initiative has both short and long term goals.
Realizing the Promise of Precision Medicine: The Role of Patient Data, Mobile Technology, and Consumer Engagement 1st Edition, by Paul Cerrato and John Halamka
This book by industry superstars explains the potential of personalized medicine and the value of those approaches in making that potential a reality. The book helps transform one-size-fits-all healthcare into a system that focuses on individual needs and the unique needs of each family member, discussing topics such as U.S. sponsored precision medicine initiative, genomics, the role of electronic health records and mobile medicine, patient engagement and empowerment, health information exchange and patient data protection.
Hear Paul and John discuss the book and the promise of precision medicine on This Just In with host Justin Barnes.
Precision Medicine in Action
Immunotherapy: The importance of keeping the promise and potential of immunotherapy alive.
More than 15.5 million people lived beyond a cancer diagnosis as of Jan. 1, 2016, and that number is expected to surpass 20 million by 2026.
.@Pienta_brady sits with fellow experts to discuss how they are using #PrecisionMedicine #HopkinsOnTheRoad #PMWC2018 https://t.co/EEmrEpnqWO
— Hopkins inHealth (@HopkinsInHealth) January 22, 2018
Four ways precision medicine is making a difference, by John Stanley Mattick – This is part of a series of articles on precision medicine brought to you by The Conversation, an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.
From NIH National Cancer Institute – Precision Medicine in Cancer Treatment – After decades of research, scientists now understand that patients’ tumors have genetic changes that cause cancer to grow and spread. They have also learned that the changes that occur in one person’s cancer may not occur in others who have the same type of cancer. And, the same cancer-causing changes may be found in different types of cancer. Using the genetic changes in a patient’s tumor to determine their treatment is known as precision medicine.
Resources
The Journal of Precision Medicine (@JournPrecMed)
The world’s first print publication to discuss the many key global issues surrounding this rapidly evolving landscape. It does so by connecting both ends of the life science continuum – the compelling discoveries being realized in molecular research with the critical needs of the patient in the clinical setting.
The Personalized Medicine Coalition (@permedcoalition)
PMC, representing innovators, scientists, patients, providers and payers, promotes the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine concepts, services and products to benefit patients and the health system.
Save the Date: 14th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference, November 14-15 2018 in Boston MA.