top of page

PRECISION MEDICINE

precision medicine has the potential to change the way we think about, identify and manage cancer care. the impact on both clinical research and patient care will grow as our understanding and technologies improve and precision medicine and biomarkers will transform the delivery of cancer care to benefit both patients and cancer care systems.

 

the european commission defined [2015] personalised medicine as “a model of medicine that uses the molecular profile [phenotypes and genotypes] for tailoring the right therapeutic strategy for the right person at the right time, and | or to determine the predisposition to disease and | or to deliver timely and targeted prevention” working in collaboration, we can greatly improve access to precision medicines and biomarkers, with a flexible regulatory framework that accelerates access, encouraging policies that invest in and support the use of precision medicines and biomarkers, and educating on the potential effectiveness and efficiency precision medicine and biomarkers can make in our health care system.

​

precision medicine is rapidly having an impact on how drugs are discovered and developed; how patients are diagnosed and treated; and how health care delivery is channeling its resources to maximize patient benefits. precision medicine is having an important impact in clinical care, the great potential to improve the quality of patient care and to help contain health care costs and it should be directed at individual patients through the practice of medicine rather than through regulatory action.

PRECISION MEDICINE AWARENESS MONTH (PMAM)

every november the cancer collaborative, in collaboration with the European Cancer Patients Coalition (ECPC) aims to raise awareness on the role of genetics and genomics in cancer, in educating patients, caregivers, families and advocating to policy and decision makers on the importance of genomic testing (molecular profiling  or biomarker testing) through this month long campaign.

​

cancer treatments is focused on where the cancer is located in the body, with the advent of targeted therapies it is possible to treat cancer based on the molecular profile of the tumour regardless of where it is located in the body. this approach leads to higher response rates, lower toxicity profiles and better quality of life for Canadians living with cancer. 

​

every year, throughout the month of november we aim to educate, raise and awareness and advocate for 

- Increased access and decreased waiting times for high quality molecular testing to make personalized healthcare more of a reality across Canada;
- More information to educate and empower patients and caregivers around the potential and availability of molecular testing;
- A harmonized and more efficient regulatory framework across Canada which could increase access to, and potentially reduce the cost of, molecular testing.

RESOURCES

ECPC. CANCER BIOMARKERS IN THE ERA OF PERSONALISED MEDICINE.

AN INFOGRAPHIC

MOLECULAR PROFILING

biomarker testing [also known as mutation, molecular or genomic testing or profiling] has revolutionized how cancer is diagnosed, treated and managed and has led to the development of precision medicine.

WHAT IS PRECISION MEDICINE

starting new conversations about cancer testing and treatment options for canadians

ECPC. CANCER BIOMARKERS IN THE ERA OF PERSONALISED MEDICINE. VIDEO

cancer biomarkers in the era of personalised medicine

UNDERSTANDING CANCER

cancer is a collection of related diseases that can occur almost anywhere in the body and is characterized by abnormal cell process involving uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation that alters normal cell behaviour. there are over 100 types of cancers, and in all types, cancer is caused when certain changes occur to genes that control the way cells function, especially how they grow and divide. when cells start to multiply and divide outside of the normal cell process and they start to invade surrounding tissue

WHAT IS PRECISION MEDICINE AWARENESS MONTH (PMAM)

precision medicine awareness month is a month long campaign to raise awareness, educate and advocate on the importance of genomic testing and targeted therapies

GENETICS VS GENOMICS

understanding more about diseases caused by a single gene [using genetics] and complex diseases caused by multiple genes and environmental factors [using genomics] can lead to earlier diagnoses, interventions, and targeted treatments

WHAT ARE BIOMARKERS

biomarkers are proteins, genes, and other molecules that affect how cancer cells grow, multiply, die, and respond to other compounds in the body. they can be produced by the tumour cells or by other cells in the body in response to the tumour

personalized vs precision medicine

the growing understanding of genetics and genomics, how they drive health, disease and drug response in each person has created a pathway for precision medicine, moving away from the traditional one size fits all approach to medicine, to a more precise, predictable and cost effective healthcare system

RELATED CONTENT

BLOG POSTS

MEDIA RELEASES

07

Ce #géNOMBRE Les groupes canadiens contre le cancer s'unissent pour accélérer la médecine de précision au Canada

November 1, 2024

06

THIS #KNOWVEMBER CANADIAN PATIENT GROUPS UNITE TO ACCELERATE PRECISION MEDICINE IN CANADA

November 1, 2024

05

CAR-T CENTRES READY TO RECEIVE PATIENTS BUT HAVE NO TREATMENT TO OFFER

September 5, 2019

03

CAR-T HOW MUCH LONGER MUST CANADIANS WAIT

November 4, 2019

04

TREATING THE PATIENT NOT THE CANCER

October 31, 2019

02

#CRACKINGTHECANCERCODE

November 2, 2020

01

PRECISION MEDICINE AWARENESS MONTH RETURNS IN 2021

October 29, 2021

bottom of page