Fig. 2 A model for the development of personalized patient care presented by Koomen
et al. ( 2008 ) for cancer patients. Each patient will follow a similar scheme through diagnosis,
treatment, and ongoing monitoring. This model defines the role and contribution of proteomics. (a)
The current steps in the process (inbold) are shown with their respective improvements expected
from ongoing research. Surviving patients, their families, and caregivers often enter screening
programs. Patients who suffer relapse or recurrence will begin the process again. The standard of
care may change between initial onset and relapse, providing additional tools for personalized
medicine. The interface between physicians and research enables the continuous assessment and
improvement of clinical practice. (b) By understanding and evaluating challenges at each step in
treatment, researchers can suggest or provide solutions, developing and implementing molecularly
driven patient care. TheRoman numeralsindicate the vignettes used to illustrate the impact that
proteomics research can have on clinical care (reproduced from Koomen et al. 2008 , with
permission)
184 D. Josic ́and U. Andjelkovic ́