Drug vials Insurers say costsaren't their only concern; they argue that evidence is lacking toshow the precision medicine approach will work consistently.(Photo: Shutterstock)

When Kristen Kilmer was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer at age 38, her first thought wasof her 8-year-old daughter. Kilmer lost her own mother as ateenager and was determined to get more time with her onlychild.

Kilmer searched for experimental treatments, opting for an unprovenapproach in which researchers select drugs based on the genes in patients' tumors. Doctorshave selected her treatments for the past three years based on theunique, ever-changing DNA of her cancer cells. Now 41, Kilmer hasresponded better than anyone dared to hope. Her cancer has goneinto hiding; her tumors are no longer visible on medical scans.

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