Sir William Osler humorously compared the development of personalized medicine to an art form, arguing that medicine would truly be a science if all humans had the same genetic makeup ( Theodorescu, 24 years old). One can easily imagine how each human started as a blank canvas and over time developed additional brushstrokes from factors such as genetic crossovers and mutations, making each a unique work of art. Since no two individuals are the same, it is necessary to provide individualized treatment to sick people, and this is where personalized medicine plays a role. Personalized medicine is a relatively new area of ​​drug development that gained popularity after the sequencing of the human genome in 2003; it focuses on providing “the right medicine to the right patient, at the right time” (Deakin, 14). However, personalized medicine can be seen in past medical cases when doctors required detailed family history information before treating patients. Although this cannot be compared to modern personalized medicine techniques, it was a first step in exploring the benefits of personalized medicine (Theodorescu, 24). Today, one of the main areas of application of personalized medicine is oncology; cancer cases have provided an excellent channel to study the capabilities of personalized medicine techniques (Gilbert, 18). Conventional cancer management included “treatment depending on the organ or tissue from which the cancer arises” (Van't Veer, 564). Personalized medicine involves the use of biomarkers to classify patients and, unlike conventional treatments, these biomarkers may suggest that the patient would benefit better from no treatment at all. These biomarkers and genetic tests provide healthcare professionals...... middle of paper ......aitland, Michael. “Clinical trials in the era of personalized oncology.” A Cancer Journal for Clinician 10.3322 (2011): 1-17. Academic research completed. Internet. November 11, 2011. • Rebbeck TR et al. (2004). Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy reduces breast cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers: the PROSE study group. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 22,1055-1062.• US Preventive Services Task Force. (2005). Genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility: Recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine.143(5),355-361.• Features of the NCI: Toward personalized cancer care. 2009. National Cancer Institute. November 11, 2011• College of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences. 2010. Ohio State University. November 13, 2011 < http://biomed.osu.edu/msso/article.cfm?ID=2641>