Having a genetic predisposition does not necessarily mean a particular, medical condition or disease will occur in our lifetime. The appearance of specific traits also depends on lifestyle, diet, physical activity, addictions, and the environment in which we live. An example would be the variants in the GPX2 and FMO3 genes that increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. By taking the right actions - in this case, by avoiding tobacco smoke - we can reduce the risk, and prevent certain adverse effects from occurring. However, it is important to be aware that we have these predispositions, that they are encoded in our DNA.

A genetic test is used to find out whether changes are present in a person's genes or chromosomes, and what effect these changes may have on a person's health and life.

Genetic testing is commonly associated with paternity tests or tests carried out on pregnant women who are at risk of developing birth defects. However, it can also indicate a predisposition to certain diseases, conditions - or simply traits. The terms genetic testing and DNA testing are synonymous.

During the test, genetic material, or DNA, isolated from a person's cells undergoes a series of complex processes. The resulting data is analyzed by our specialists to detect significant genetic variants.

Genes are a key set of instructions for the proper functioning of our cells, tissues, organs, and therefore affect the functioning of our body. There are about 24,000 genes in the human genome - every person has the same genes. However, we all differ in some particularities in the gene sequences - our genetic variants are different. In an ideal system, all genes carry the correct genetic information, and optimally manage the body's condition. However, because of the very large number of genes in our genome, and because of the large genomic space occupied by genes (about 45 million nucleotides in DNA), there are often changes in gene sequences that cause certain mechanisms to malfunction.

Personalized medicine is based on the premise that each human body is different and unique, and the disease we are trying to treat may have a different cause and may progress in each person in a distinctive way. Thus, the treatment should be based on the real data of the person being treated, and be tailored to the actual needs of his or her body.

Consequently, personalized medicine is based on the adaptation of a specific therapeutic process (eg, the use of a targeted drug or the adequate dose of a drug) to a specific patient, and not only to the disease occurring in that patient.

The essence of personalized medicine is to identify and understand the molecular causes of a disease and the details of its course. A variety of individual patient characteristics are considered in the selection of modern personalized therapy, in particular genetic/molecular information, but also behavioral data, and the medical history of the person being treated.