Great future or greedy venture: Precision medicine needs philosophy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Science
• Medical Informatics
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Precision medicine (PM) has emerged as a transformative approach to tailor medical treatments.
• Despite advancements, the true potential and widespread applicability of PM remain subjects of ongoing debate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine the philosophical underpinnings and practical hurdles of precision medicine.
• To evaluate the foundational assumptions of PM in light of computability, uncertainty, and complexity.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on philosophical issues and practical challenges in PM.
• Analytical examination of the relationship between PM and core scientific concepts like computability and complexity.

Main Results:

• Key assumptions underpinning precision medicine may not be adequately validated.
• The current understanding of PM's capabilities and limitations appears to be superficial.

Conclusions:

• Further in-depth research is necessary to address the complexities of PM.
• Efforts should focus on realizing the genuine promise of PM, moving beyond its current status as a potentially overhyped concept.