Twenty years ago, diagnosis of stage-4 cancers, were widely regarded as a death sentence. Today, advancements in precision oncology and personalised care have completely changed that perception. By matching treatment to the tumor’s specific mutations and characteristics, clinicians in selected cases can now convert an otherwise uniformly lethal disease into one that is manageable over several months to even years says Dr. Vaibhav Choudhary, Director Medical & Precision Oncology, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai.

Precision oncology focuses on two aspects; causes of the tumor’s formation and spread in a particular patient. The answer lies in advanced diagnostic testing for molecular markers and specific mutations or ‘signatures’  within the cancer. If the clinicians are able to identify a biomarker, they select therapies designed to target these anomaliesrather than having a uniform line of treatment for all advanced cancers. 

Today, a large number of patients with stage-4 cancers, can benefit from targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or an evidence- based combination of the two. Targeted therapies focus on the mutations or pathways that trigger the growth of the tumour and Immunotherapy h elps the body build its own defences to identify and attack cancer cells. Depending on the patients tumour characteristics, these approaches are employed together or alongside other treatments for optimal results.