We (at least GenXPro) can now predict which cancer drug will work best for a particular patient. Why are so many people still treated following protocols that work only in 25% of cases?
Good question. This is due to multiple reasons-in part due to the regulatory requirements in certain countries and due to the cost-associated with personalized medicine. Further, in certain multigenic cancers, additional evidence is needed to convince that targeting a signaling pathway or pathways is likely to improve overall survival. However, additional factors also contribute to treatment decisions.
Probably the answers are multifaceted. The first is the lobby of chemotherapeutics, you can't fight against the mass treatment with the drugs by bug pharma. The second is a need for more laboratories that can work in association, so that your technique and methods can be applied to a larger number of patients. But starting a trial may support and give evidence of the need of such personalised medicine, therefore we must spend money in clinical trials, and wait to convince of the benefits of this approach.
I think that the biggest problem in the introduction of personalized medicine to hospitals is in finance. Some countries already spent around 10% of GDP for medical care and economy is not able to bear such burden. First we have to make it cheaper and simpler.
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