Diagnostic Pathology in the Era of Precision Medicine

Abstract

The ever-increasing importance of targeted therapy in the management of cancerous and non-neoplastic diseases calls for novel, advanced techniques of diagnostic pathology. The past decade has witnessed substantial changes in how cancer patients are managed, with a pronounced focus on precision medicine based on genomic profiles and gene expression analysis, thus discarding the “one-size-fits-all” approach1. Understanding tumor development and acquiring information regarding the genetics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and epigenetics of pathological lesions, especially cancers, is central to precision medicine2. Several state-of-the-art techniques, especially those directed towards the molecular characterisation of diseases, have been developed to meet these challenges. Completing the Human Genome Project and the advent of pharmacogenomics, disease management has changed drastically, especially that of cancers. Oncology is now considered to be the first choice for targeted therapeutics. In cancer therapeutics, precision medicine aims to develop tailored therapies for patients according to the molecular pattern of the tumor.3,