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Precision medicine makes use of gene screening technique for disease prevention.  Genes vary in individuals, various disease genes determines the chances of an individuals to acquire a particular disease.  Doctors use gene test results to know which disease a patient have high chance to acquire and give suggestions on how to minimize the chance, such as changing diet and lifestyle, or even carry out treatments to prevent the disease from happening.

For example, if a doctor knows a patient carrying a gene with increased risk of non-smoking-related lung cancer, the patient can be arranged to do more frequent lung checks and treatment can be done as early as possible if cancer cells are found.

As there are so many genes, it may not be practical to screen all of them.  Doctor may first look into a patient’s family and health history before deciding which genes to screen.  In summary, precision medicine doctor will look at a patient’s family and health history, and then decide the genes to be screened.  The gene test report will give doctors an idea which disease a patient have high chance to acquire and precautions can be done to prevent the disease.  At the same time, body checks are done to detect any existing and developing disease.  In case a disease has developed and is being detected, specialist doctors can provide medicine or treatment according to their own expertise or base on gene test results.