Personalized medicine moves beyond the traditional approach of prescribing the same treatment to all patients with a given diagnosis. Instead, it considers individual variations in genes, environment, and lifestyle to optimize therapeutic outcomes.

This approach is particularly powerful in oncology, where genetic profiling of tumors can identify specific mutations driving cancer growth. Targeted therapies designed to attack these specific mutations often work better and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.

As our understanding of disease mechanisms deepens and technology becomes more sophisticated, personalized medicine is expanding beyond cancer to encompass many other conditions, from cardiovascular disease to mental health disorders.