Release date: 2017-07-17
Ms. Sally Davis, the UK's chief medical officer, recently released an annual report with the goal of recommending DNA sequencing for each cancer patient to prevent misdiagnosis, unnecessary repeated diagnosis and ineffective chemotherapy.
Currently, more than 350,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer each year, and about 163,000 people die each year. Sally said that it is time to end the "diagnostic malignancy", and these patients generally have to consult more than 5 doctors, and wait an average of 4 years before the diagnosis.
Now, with a little blood or saliva for DNA testing, you can correctly determine the disease and identify specific genetic mutations that play an important role in successful treatment. The British "Daily Telegraph" has comprehensively interpreted this "landmark" report.
Comprehensive genetic screening in 5 years
There are currently 25 small laboratories in the UK, and each genetic test costs around £600. The new report shows that this cost can be greatly reduced.
Sally suggested that in the next three to five years, the UK National Health Service (NHS) should establish a centralized laboratory to handle large-scale DNA testing, and soon patients will see genetic screening as a normal treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning methods are generally accepted and adopted.
“The NHS must act to maintain its leading position in global science.†While Sally promoted the leading position in precision medicine in the UK, Sally emphasized that “precise medicine based on DNA sequencing may change the status of drugs forever.â€
Actively embrace the arrival of precision medicine
Precision Medicine is a new medical concept and medical model based on personalized medicine, with the rapid advancement of genome sequencing technology and the cross-application of bioinformatics and big data science. Its essence is to analyze and identify, validate and apply biomarkers for large sample populations and specific disease types through genomics, proteomics and other omics techniques and medical frontier technologies, so as to accurately find the cause of the disease and the target of treatment. And accurately classify the different states and processes of a disease, and finally achieve the purpose of personalized and precise treatment for diseases and specific patients, and improve the effectiveness of disease diagnosis and treatment.
Now, all NHS staff, patients and the public need to know about precision medicine and embrace its enormous potential.
In the case of prostate cancer and breast cancer, more and more scientists have found that the classification of tumors by genetics is very helpful in developing follow-up treatment options.
In the report, Sally said that personalized medicine will no longer rely on the "trial and error method" that is usually applied to cancer drugs, while giving patients fewer side effects, alleviating pain more quickly, and solving the problem of huge medical costs.
A recent study on breast cancer genetic testing found that more than half of early patients can be exempted from chemotherapy after surgery because their DNA tests show a very low chance of cancer recurrence.
Despite this, Sally still asked for the establishment of the National Genomenomics Committee and said that genetic training should be provided to all clinicians. The report also recommends that the National Screening Committee should assess whether the promotion of genetic screening is conducive to public health.
Every Englishman will benefit from it
The new program encourages patients to use their genetic data for research and clinical trials because the benefits of contributing genetic data far outweigh the risks they face.
Health Minister Jeremy Hunter welcomed this and said that it is vital to advance modern science and benefit patients.
He said: "In the past five years, we should be very proud that the UK has become a world leader in genetic medicine. Tens of thousands of patients nationwide have benefited from faster diagnosis and precise treatment and care, we will Support the national health system to continue to promote the development of modern science and to benefit more people."
The Medical Research Council described Sally's report as having "vision and insight." The Cancer Charity also welcomed the report and believes that promoting precision medicine can save more lives. "Further understanding and application of genomics is critical to the success of saving lives," said CEO Hapar Kumar.
Source: China Science and Technology Network - Technology Daily
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