Diagnosis and treatment in the era of precision medicine – Precision medicine and tailor-made medicine

Abstract

Recently, precision medicine has gained attention in several fields of medical society. Today's medical consensus revolves around Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) built on the results of many randomized controlled trials. Ever since the advent of EBM, guidelines based on EBM have provided a basis for clinical decision-making. Treatments based on these guidelines largely improved the prognosis of a certain ailment. However, these guidelines can only provide the best fit based on the statistics. Treatments based on the statistics leave behind many un- or less-responsive patients. Herein, we explain in detail the concept of “precision medicine” launched by the Obama administration in the U.S., its difference from personalized medicine, how it started to take shape, and the benefits it is expected to bring to our society.