Patient guide · 01
Precision oncology, explained.
What precision oncology means
Cancer develops when changes build up in a cell's genetic material. These changes can differ from one person's cancer to another's, even when the cancers start in the same organ.
Precision oncology uses tests that read some of those changes. The results can help your oncologist understand the cancer better and see whether there is evidence linking particular changes to particular treatments or clinical trials.
What “molecular information” is
Molecular tests look at and sometimes . A change in the DNA is called a .
Some variants are acquired by the tumour during life (somatic). Others are present from birth in every cell and may run in families (germline). The two are interpreted differently.
An example
Imagine a test finds a change in a gene we'll call “Gene X”. On its own, that tells us only that the change is there. Your care team then asks: is this change known to drive cancer? Is there evidence that it affects how this type of cancer responds to any treatment? How strong is that evidence, and does it apply to your situation? Often, the honest answer to some of these questions is “we don't know yet”.
Clinicians can read more in variant interpretation & evidence.