Particle Therapy and 3-D Imaging: A Roadmap to the Future of Precision Medicine

The next generation of health care technologies, and possibly even the future of medicine, lies in early diagnosis and patient-tailored targeted treatments: what is called “personalized medicine.” The goal is to deliver the right treatment to the right patient at the right time, providing not only significant benefits to patients but also transforming the way health care is implemented in the clinic. Personalized medicine would provide clinicians with tools to directly image pathways and changes at the molecular level and thus allow for more accurate and early detection of cancer and assessment of treatment efficacy. This step would directly affect patient care and quality of life. However, a truly multidisciplinary approach will be required to address the fundamental scientific and policy issues arising from more precise, predictable, and powerful diagnosis and treatment at the molecular level. This session will focus on a key aspect of the move to personalized medicine, addressing contributions from physics, engineering, and computer science toward developing effective 3-D, high-resolution imaging techniques. The session outlines the clinician’s perspective and the latest scientific developments that are a vital precursor to the more accurate and timely treatments and follow-up at the heart of the personalized medicine revolution.