Medicina di Precisione e Medicina di Laboratorio

Abstract

Although some confusion exists with terms such as Personalized Medicine or 4Ps Medicine, Precision Medicine is defined as “an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person”. The US Precision Medicine Initiative has both short-term and long-term goals: expanding in the area of cancer research and then to all areas of health and healthcare on a large scale. These goals are based on molecular and bioinformatics developments, converging technologies of connectivity, new models of biomedical research, and the empowerment of patients and citizens as partners in healthcare research and organization. Of course, some barriers derive from the costs and the competition for funding, preparedness of doctors and stakeholders, and criticism about medical methodology, targets, and philosophy of Precision Medicine. Nevertheless, the Precision Medicine is growing and is an outstanding opportunity for Laboratory Medicine because a new Precision Diagnostics should guide the targeted therapies. For this role, methodological quality, correct understanding of the relationship between innovation and evidence building, and new skills such as Therapeutic Pathology are essential.