This article was originally published on Greendorphin
New research indicates that cancer deaths in the U.S. declined by 29% from 1991-2017, primarily due to earlier detection methods and improving therapies. Innovation in cancer treatment is moving increasingly towards personalized medicine as physicians use genetic data to inform what therapies would be most effective for particular individuals or specific cancers.
Lifestyle is typically the first factor that physicians consider and seek to better in cancer patients, but genetics also determine an individual’s cancer susceptibility. Researchers have linked specific gene variations to an increased predisposition towards developing certain cancers. While this information doesn’t mean that people who possess a particular variant will develop a specific cancer, it does indicate that a person could have an increased likelihood compared to the general population.
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