Precision medicine: what it is and why it represents a new frontier in healthcare

Precision medicine, often referred to as personalised medicine, represents an evolution of the traditional model of care: the aim is to move beyond the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach by tailoring prevention, diagnosis and treatment to the biological and clinical characteristics of each patient. To achieve this, it integrates information drawn from genetic profiles, medical history, lifestyle, medical imaging and environmental factors.

The interaction between the genome and the environment, in fact, makes every person and every condition unique: two patients with the same diagnosis may have different molecular characteristics and respond differently to the same treatment. Thanks to advances in genomics and pharmacogenomics, it is now possible to identify the most appropriate treatment, selecting the active ingredient, the dosage and the timing of administration in an increasingly targeted manner.

The difference between personalised medicine and precision medicine

Although the terms ‘precision medicine’ and ‘personalised medicine’ are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle conceptual difference. Precision medicine focuses primarily on understanding the biological and molecular mechanisms underlying diseases, identifying specific therapeutic targets to develop effective treatments. Personalised medicine broadens this perspective by placing the individual, in all their complexity, at the centre, taking into account not only their genetic makeup but also their lifestyle, diet, environment and clinical history. Precision medicine is currently applied primarily in highly complex fields, such as oncology and oncohaematology, areas in which HCC has built up extensive experience.