There is still some confusion surrounding the difference between precision medicine and personalized medicine. Some argue for a strict distinction between the two because “precision medicine” offers a more accurate representation of practices involving the customization of healthcare services than the “personalized medicine.” The public and mainstream media, as well as industry practitioners and non-profit healthcare and scientific organizations, have used the two terms interchangeably.
Drawing the Difference Between Precision Medicine and Personalized Medicine
According to the U.S. Public Health and Scientific Authority
A 2011 report prepared by a committee of the U.S. National Research Council suggested using the term “precision medicine” instead of “personalized medicine.” Note that NRC is the working arm of the United States National Academies responsible for shaping policies and advancing the pursuit of science, medicine, and engineering.
The report defines precision medicine as “the tailoring of medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient.” The report added, “It does not literally mean the creation of drugs or medical devices that are unique to a patient, but rather the ability to classify individuals into subpopulations that differ in their susceptibility to a particular disease, in the biology or prognosis of those diseases they may develop, or in their response to a specific treatment.”
Hence, in explaining the difference between precision medicine and personalized medicine, the report said the latter is susceptible to misinterpretation. Some might regard personalized medicine as a concept that implies the design of unique treatments for each individual. This is not the actual case in practice as highlighted in the definition of precision medicine.
The main concern of NRC was the potential for the term “personalized medicine” to create unrealistic expectations or a flawed understanding of current medical capabilities. It evokes images of bespoke solutions or a medicine crafted exclusively for one person. Hence, while the goal is individualized care, the method by which this can be achieved is by grouping individuals with similar molecular profiles, not by developing a completely novel drug for each person.
Origins from Basic Patient Care and the Human Genome Project
Robert M. Plenge, a geneticist and executive at Merck Research Laboratories, noted that personalized medicine is similar to practices involving basic patient care. He explained that physicians have always make decisions about the best course of treatment based on patient preferences. This should be the actual and most basic definition of personalized medicine.
He also underscored several burdens associated with personalized medicine. For instance, when the Human Genome Project was nearing completion in 2000, people hoped that the identification of genetic markers would categorize patients into two. These are the responders and non-responders. Personalized medicine was a buzzword around this time. This did not happen due to the polygenicity of traits or the complex genetic nature of different traits.
Physicians Gary An and Yoram Vodovotz also traced the popularity of the term “personalized medicine” from the assumptions associated with the Human Genome Project. These revolve around using sequence data and information like demography, medical histories, and responsiveness to medications to determine what would work best for a particular patient.
The aforementioned assumptions never materialized due to the same complex genetic nature of different traits and the challenges in providing distinctive care at the individual level. An and Vodovotz then contends that “precision medicine” has become a more appropriate terminology. It describes a healthcare approach that involves analyzing precisely defined subgroups of patients using genomic sequence data and metadata from existing therapies.
Blurring the Difference Between Precision Medicine and Personalized Medicine
Usage of the Terms in Discourse and Scientific Literature
Others have used the terms “precision medicine” and “personalized medicine” interchangeably despite some tough calls to use the former. This is evident in casual and formal discourse and in scientific and non-scientific literature. Note that Barack Obama, during his 2015 State of the Union Address, announced an initiative centered on promoting precision medicine.
However, despite the obvious preference toward the term “precision medicine,” some members of the media and the public resorted to using “personalized medicine” instead. Another example was a 2015 article published by the American Cancer Society that featured “personalized medicine” in its headline. Author Elizabeth Mendes specifically noted that the difference between precision medicine and personalized medicine seem to blurring and merging.
The patient information website of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists has also used the terms interchangeably throughout its contents. For example, in a specific webpage about cancer treatment options, the organization included personalized medicine in the list. It is worth noting that some of its blog articles featured “precision medicine” in their headlines.
Hence, despite academic or official recommendations, terms often gain traction or persist based on public understanding, media framing, and practical communication. The examples above points out that the public and mainstream media often prioritize clarity, familiarity, or perceived emotional resonance over strict technical definitions. Attempts to promote “precision medicine” as the more correct term have essentially faced significant challenges.
According to Pharmaceutical Companies and Research Institutions
Organizations like pharmaceutical companies and scientific communities are still using “personalized medicine” in their publications. Companies like Bayer and Pfizer have made informational webpages about personalized medicine. Pfizer describes the term as an approach that involved tailoring drugs to match the genetic variability of diseases.
The Jackson Laboratory, a non-profit biomedical research institution, also uses “personalized medicine” to describe the tailoring of healthcare services based on genomics. Organizations like the the National Health Institute and U.S. Food and Drug Administration use “precision medicine” in their communications. Journals under the Nature Publishing Group and Public Library of Science have featured articles using either of the two terms.
Some journals have carried either of the two terms in their names. Examples are The Journal of Personalized Medicine of Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Personalized Medicine by Future Medicine, the Personalized Medicine Universe by the Society of Personalized Medicine; the Journal of Precision Medicine, and Advances in Precision Medicine.
The PHG Foundation, a health policy think tank, reiterated that the two have specific meanings. It suggested that personalized medicine is a more general or broader concept. Within this general concept are more specific concepts like precision medicine, stratified medicine, and P4 medicine. The foundation has been reviewing and analyzing relevant literature to come up with a more concrete suggestion regarding the use of these terminologies.
Takeaway: The Difference Between Precision Medicine and Personalized Medicine
The core concepts behind precision medicine and personalized medicine are not new, but significant discord remains among stakeholders regarding their exact definitions and differentiation. This ongoing debate likely stems from the relatively recent widespread application of these concepts and the undeniable overlaps between them, which often make their differences seem negligible. For some, the distinction is simply a matter of preferential terminology.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- An, G. and Vodovotz, Y. 2015. “What is ‘Precision Medicine’—And Can It Work?” Elsevier Connect. Elsevier. Available online
- Mendes, E. 2015. “Personalized Medicine: Redefining Cancers and its Treatment.” American Cancer Society. Available online
- National Research Council. 2011. Toward Precision Medicine Building a Knowledge Network for Biomedical Research and a New Taxonomy of Disease. The National Academic Press. ISBN: 978-0-309-22222-8
- PHG Foundation. n.d. Many names for One Concept or Many Concepts in One Name? PHG Foundation. University of Cambridge. Available via PDF
- Plenge, R. M. 16 March 2013. “Personalized Medicine vs. Precision Medicine.” Plenge Gen. Available online