Refocusing the war on cancer: the critical role of personalized treatment.

Potti, Anil; Schilsky, Richard L; Nevins, Joseph R · Sci Transl Med · 2010

Level V

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Abstract

Despite very substantial investment and effort over the past 30 years, the overall survival rate of cancer patients has changed little. We propose that without a truly robust mechanism for selecting the right treatment for the right patient at the right time-the central concepts of personalized medicine-we will continue to see only incremental improvements and have little hope for substantial survival gains. We suggest that it is now imperative that future clinical trials be designed with a plan to incorporate biomarker development.

Medical subject headings