By Susan Buckles, Public Affairs
The promise of precision medicine is becoming a reality as more doctors bring individualized therapies to the bedside. You or a family member could benefit if you suffer from illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, a rare undiagnosed disease or a genetics-based condition. Individualized medicine, also known as precision or personalized medicine, is the concept that prediction, diagnosis, treatment and, eventually, prevention, can be targeted to your individual needs based on your genetic profile, environment and lifestyle.
But how do you seek these novel individualized therapies? It often starts with a conversation with your doctor. The Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, a catalyst in moving personalized medicine therapies from the laboratory to clinical care, offers these tips on how to talk to your doctor about individualized medicine therapies:
“Precision medicine is already integrated into clinical care. It is important for patients to learn about options, so they can understand whether they are the right candidate for these targeted therapies,” says Keith Stewart, M.B., Ch.B., the Carlson and Nelson Endowed Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. “They should approach their physicians, seeking an honest and open discussion about benefits and possible challenges to integrating these new therapies into their treatment plans.”
Those who should talk to their doctors about individualized medicine therapies include:
*Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all patients who should seek individualized therapies.
Dr. A. Keith Stewart is the Carlson Nelson Endowed Director, Center for Individualized Medicine; and Anna Maria and Vasek Polak Professor of Cancer Research, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Mayo Clinic.
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You’ll want to save the date for next year’s Individualizing Medicine Conference. It is planned for Oct. 9-11, 2017.
Tags: #Center for Individualized Mediicine, #Patient care, DNA Sequencing, Dr. Keith Stewart, Genetic Testing, individualized medicine, mayo clinic, medical research, personalized medicine, Precision Medicine, Uncategorized