Opening Remarks and Keynote Address
Prof. Loong defined precision medicine as tailoring treatment strategies to individual patient characteristics through the integration of genomic, molecular, and clinical data, moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches. He outlined key challenges including tumor heterogeneity, treatment resistance, limited tissue availability, and gaps in real-time monitoring.
He positioned liquid biopsy as an essential, minimally-invasive component of precision medicine that provides complementary information across multiple clinical decision points — from earlier diagnosis and minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment to surveillance, treatment selection, and surveillance and treatment response monitoring. Prof. Loong reviewed its main biological components and emphasized the value of integrating multi-omics approaches with AI to achieve a more holistic understanding of disease and support proactive, data-driven cancer care.
