ABSTRACT
This chapter explains five categories of disease for which personalized medicine is having an impact: cardiovascular disease, hypertension, mental illness, HIV, and cancer. Many companies in the business of personalized medicine, biomarker studies, and companion diagnostics are now making inroads in more effectively treating patients for these and other diseases. As a result, patients can avoid surgery and more drastic or simply ineffective treatments. The adoption of personalized medicine initiatives requires educating patients on the benefits of undergoing biomarker testing, finding targeting treatments, and training physicians in the fundamentals of genomic medicine. The administration of personalized medicine tests and their ultimate success in the clinic are contingent upon patient and provider awareness of the clinical validity and utility of a genomic test and the usefulness of targeted treatment. Government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health could sponsor funding for grants that promote public education on personalized medicine.
