Question

question 20 (5 points)
personalized or precision therapies are selected on the basis of the
a) genetic profile of the cancer.
b) type and extent of the cancer.
c) antibodies associated with the cancer.
d) risk factors associated with the cancer.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Precision Medicine and Cancer Genetics
Matching treatments to a patient's unique genetic makeup.

Step 1: Define personalized or precision therapy

Personalized medicine (or precision medicine) is an approach to disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person. In oncology (cancer care), this means analyzing the specific molecular and genetic alterations that drive a patient's tumor.

Step 2: Evaluate the options

• a) genetic profile of the cancer: Precision therapies target specific genetic mutations, gene amplifications, or molecular markers unique to the patient's tumor (for example, targeting the HER2 gene in breast cancer or EGFR mutations in lung cancer). This matches the definition of precision medicine.
• b) type and extent of the cancer: While the tissue type and stage (extent) of cancer are crucial for traditional staging and standard chemotherapy/radiation plans, they do not define "precision" or "personalized" molecular therapies.
• c) antibodies associated with the cancer: While immunotherapy uses antibodies, precision therapy selection is fundamentally guided by the broader genetic and molecular profile of the tumor cells.
• d) risk factors associated with the cancer: Risk factors (like smoking or family history) help with prevention and screening, not the selection of targeted treatment regimens once cancer has developed.

Answer:

a) genetic profile of the cancer.