One Size does not Fit All—The Future of Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Cancer is a complex disease where normal cells of the body are
transformed such that they begin to divide in an uncontrolled manner and can even invade other tissues in the body. Cancer can occur in many different tissues in the body, each requiring different forms of treatment. It is a disease that is caused by changes or mutations in genes, leading to a cascade of other genetic changes in the body. There is a high degree of genetic heterogeneity in tumors of a single type of cancer, which might explain why each patient responds to standard treatments differently. This makes it necessary to tailor treatments for cancer patients based on the molecular profiles of their tumors. This is the idea behind personalized medicine, where patients are treated based on their individual genetic changes or molecular profiles. In this paper, we look at some of the molecular profiles that are commonly used in different types of cancers, and some personalized therapies that already
exist. In addition, we also attempt to predict how cancer treatment will be revolutionized by some of the new technologies that are emerging today.