Targeted diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are combined in theranostics. It is also referred to as pharmacodiagnostics, Dx/Rx partnership, integrated medicine, and companion diagnostics. Incorporating theranostics into the patient care plan (in the event of specific disorders for which diagnostic tests are available together with the appropriate therapy) may result in tailored therapy, which could further enhance medical outcomes.
Theranostics involves applying a certain type of diagnostic test that identifies a specific molecular target on a tumour or any other disease-causing agent. Any disease's pathophysiology involves particular biological pathways that can be addressed with the aid of testing for diagnosis. The presence of a certain mutation or receptors (in the case of cancer) is then determined by diagnostic imaging of the particular molecule, and these can be targeted using therapeutic medicines.
