Translational Medicine in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer based on Oncogenetics: From Bench to Bedside

Book excerpt: Translational medicine was first mentioned in 1992 by Choi D. W and has since become a rapidly expanding area within biomedical research. It is based on the ‘bench to bedside’ approach, which describes it’s relationship between basic science and clinical practice. In 2008, Drs Conway and Dougherty provided a 3 step process to translational medicine and how it should be implemented to transform healthcare systems. The first step is the translation of basic science into clinical research (T1). The second step (T2) focuses on making healthcare more patient specific, basing itself on providing ‘the right treatment for the right patient in the right way at the right time’. T2 also looks for this science to be translated into practice guidelines for clinicians, policy makers and the patients themselves. The final step (T3) addresses the ‘how’ of implementing these ideas, so that high quality healthcare can be delivered reliably to all patients in all settings of care. T3 activities would include policy changes that could serve to bring about meaningful change towards this goal. Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. Clarifying the etiology and pathogenesis of cancer is of great significance to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. The bench to bedside pattern can be a useful method for cancer-related studies. This Research Topic aims to highlight the emerging role of oncogenetics in cancer, and discuss potential challenges of diagnosis and treatment, from the bench to the bedside.