In her annual report, Davies stresses her enthusiasm for the genomic revolution which could transform the treatment that NHS patients receive. The genome is the collection of 20,000 genes, including 3.2 billion letters of DNA, that make up any individual. Genomic medicine has huge implications for the understanding and treatment of rare diseases, cancer and infections.”Cancer and rare diseases are the first targets for genomic medicine. There are great potential benefits for patients with rare diseases, defined as those affecting fewer than one in 2,000 patients. But there are at least 6,000 rare diseases worldwide and at least three million people – often children – in the UK suffer from them.

Source: The Guardian July 04, 2017 05:03 UTC