ResearchPUBMEDMar 26
[New ways in interdisciplinarity: internal medicine meets human genetics : When frequent conditions become rare and rare conditions become frequent].
Doctors are learning that common diseases are actually made up of many different rare subtypes when scientists look at their genetic makeup. By understanding the specific genetic changes in each person's disease, doctors can create targeted treatments that work better. This article uses chronic myeloid leukemia as an example—a treatment that targets one specific genetic change has turned a deadly disease into one people can live with for decades.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you have been diagnosed with a common cancer or disease, genetic testing may reveal you have a rare molecular subtype that qualifies you for a precision medicine treatment not available to patients with other genetic variations of the same disease.