ABSTRACT
Precision medicine uses information derived from genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, pharmacogenomics, and other “-omics” to derive more precisely tailored diagnostics and therapeutics and thereby improve human health. Precision medicine may be considered a necessary step in the evolution of medical care to personalized medicine, with personomics as the missing link. Precision medicine would also recognize if the woman’s tumor was among the 15–20% of breast cancers that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a finding that is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and reduced survival. There is much discussion about “precision medicine” and “personalized medicine.” When medicine is informed strictly by clinical practice guidelines, the patient is not treated as an individual, but rather a member of a group. Personalized medicine adds to that information derived from knowing the patient’s unique psychosocial situation, taking into consideration the individual’s personal preferences and health beliefs, as well as the individual’s values and goals.
