Precision Oncology is changing cancer care: Doctors explain why it matters for every cancer patient today |

Cancer is no longer a rare disease. With rising life expectancy, changing lifestyles, pollution, and late detection, the cancer burden continues to grow, especially in countries like India. Hospitals are seeing younger patients, more advanced disease, and longer treatment journeys. And while treatments have improved, the experience of cancer therapy is still physically and emotionally exhausting.For decades, cancer treatment has largely followed a one-size-fits-all approach. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation remain the main pillars. Chemotherapy, in particular, can be brutal. It doesn’t just attack cancer cells; it affects healthy cells too. Hair loss, nausea, fatigue, infections, nerve damage, and brain fog are common. Even when treatment works, the side effects often linger long after the last cycle ends. Many patients describe the process as surviving the treatment as much as surviving the disease. Radiation has its own challenges, especially when tumors are close to vital organs. Surgery, though lifesaving, can mean long recovery times and permanent changes to the body. Add to this the emotional toll, financial stress, and uncertainty, and cancer quickly becomes more than a medical diagnosis. It becomes a life-altering experience that touches every part of daily living.But this is where precision oncology is slowly changing the conversation. Instead of treating cancer based only on where it started, doctors now look at the tumor’s genetic makeup. It’s like understanding the cancer’s personality before choosing a treatment. Some patients respond better, with fewer side effects and better outcomes. It’s not magic, and it’s not for everyone yet. But it’s a step toward treatments that feel smarter, kinder, and more personal.“Cancer is not just one illness. Even if two people have the same kind of cancer like lung or breast cancer the disease can act very differently in each person. This is where precision oncology comes in. Precision oncology is a new way to treat cancer that focuses on learning about the specific characteristics of a patient’s cancer and using that information to make treatment choices,” says Dr. Priya Tiwari, Head – Medical Oncology, Artemis Hospitals. “Precision oncology is a new way to treat cancer that looks at how each patient’s cancer is different from others. Precision oncology doesn’t use the same treatment for everyone with the same type of cancer. It looks at the tumor’s genetic makeup. Doctors can learn what is making the cancer grow by looking at these genetic changes and then choose treatments that directly target those changes,” says Dr. Tejinder Kataria, Chairperson Radiation Oncology and Cancer Center Medanta – The Medicity. “Precision oncology also helps doctors make treatment decisions without having to guess. Genetic tests on tumors can help doctors decide which type of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy to use. As research progresses an increasing number of patients are obtaining access to tailored treatment alternatives. Precision oncology is a move away from treating all cancer patients the same way and toward treating each patient as an individual. This gives every cancer patient hope for better outcomes and more informed care,” he adds.

What is precision oncology?

“Simply put, precision oncology means giving the right patient the right treatment at the right time. Some changes can be found in a tumor by using more advanced genetic and molecular tests. With this information, they can choose targeted therapies or immunotherapies that work directly on cancer cells and do less damage to healthy cells. This method is important because it shows that two cancers with the same name are not the same. A treatment that works well for one person may not work well for another. Precision oncology helps you avoid treatments that aren’t needed, lowers side effects and makes treatments work better. It also helps doctors pick treatments that are more likely to work, which saves them time,” explains Dr. Kumardeep Dutta Choudhury, Senior Director – Oncology, Max Hospitals, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi.Echoing the same sentiment, Dr. Priya Tiwari says, the starting point and stage of the cancer often determine how it is treated. This method has worked well for a lot of patients but it doesn’t always work the same way for everyone. Precision oncology takes things a step further. It studies the genetic changes and mutations that happen inside cancer cells that cause them to grow and spread. Each type of cancer has its own genetic fingerprint. Doctors can learn more about what is causing the cancer by looking at these changes with genomic or molecular testing. “This method is important because it can make treatment work better and lower the risk of side effects that aren’t needed. More targeted treatments are usually better at getting rid of cancer cells and less harmful to healthy cells. Patients may have a better quality of life, fewer problems, and a better chance of controlling the disease for a long time,” adds Dr. Tejinder Kataria. In simple terms, precision oncology means the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. Even if the type of cancer is the same it doesn’t act the same way in every person. Two patients with the same diagnosis may have very different reactions to the same treatment. Precision oncology helps lessen this uncertainty by matching treatments to the cancer’s biology.

How Precision Oncology works

Genetic testing, biomarker analysis and advanced imaging are some of the tools that precision oncology uses. To find certain genes or proteins that are involved in the cancer, a small piece of the tumor or sometimes blood is tested. Doctors may suggest targeted therapy, immunotherapy and a personalized mix of treatments based on these results. If a cancer has a certain gene mutation a drug that targets that mutation can be used to stop it.Better treatment results are one of the best things about precision oncology. Patients may live longer, have better control over their disease and need fewer treatments that aren’t necessary. It also helps doctors avoid treatments that probably won’t work which saves time and lowers stress levels both physical and mental. Precision oncology also helps people make smart choices.