First of all, precision medicine research can provide better understanding of disease in general. As researchers gain a closer look at genetic factors, they may discover new insights about what causes certain diseases, why some people are more likely than others to develop diseases, and what previously- overlooked factors may play a part.
From Treatment to Prevention
Again, most of the focus of precision medicine is on genetic factors. Precision medicine researchers look for genetic abnormalities that are linked to specific diseases. Thanks to this research, doctors can now treat many of the genetic abnormalities themselves instead of just treating the resulting disorders. This approach tackles the root of the problem, perhaps providing more effective treatments and even cures.
Furthermore, if doctors can treat the abnormalities before they result in diseases, they may prevent those diseases from emerging in the first place. At the very least, they may help their patients to lessen the severity of these diseases by taking a proactive approach.
One example of this proactive approach comes from certain breast cancer treatment drugs. Breast cancer has a strong genetic component, with a percentage of inherited breast cancer cases being linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Some breast cancer medications target these genetic abnormalities specifically.