Hofmann Dominik, Esposito Elena
Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Sociol Health Illn. 2025 May;47(4):e70040. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.70040.
The article explores the role of algorithmic procedures in the implementation of the programme of precision medicine (PM), currently pursued in molecular tumour boards (MTBs) that emerged from the confluence of previous tumour boards and the increasing molecularisation of medicine. Our observation of the deliberations in MTBs, confirmed by interviews with participants, shows that the crucial contribution of algorithms in all stages of the processing of molecular data is neither acknowledged nor mentioned. One reason, we argue, is that these highly innovative technologies are very distant from the traditional skills and training of clinicians. The mediation through MTBs provides algorithmic procedures with the viability required to be implemented in medical decisions-and is more effective the more it goes unnoticed. Contrary to the widespread assumption of a blurring boundary between research and care, we claim that the intensification of contacts and exchanges among research endeavours and clinical operations makes the separation between the two fields increasingly sharp. As a consequence, there is a need for new forms of translation, which are accomplished by MTBs.
本文探讨了算法程序在精准医学（PM）计划实施中的作用，精准医学计划目前在分子肿瘤委员会（MTB）中推行，分子肿瘤委员会由先前的肿瘤委员会与医学日益分子化融合而成。我们对分子肿瘤委员会讨论情况的观察，并经与参与者访谈证实，结果表明算法在分子数据处理各阶段的关键作用既未得到认可，也未被提及。我们认为，原因之一在于这些高度创新的技术与临床医生的传统技能和培训相差甚远。通过分子肿瘤委员会进行的调解为算法程序在医疗决策中得以实施提供了所需的可行性——而且越不被注意就越有效。与普遍认为研究与医疗之间界限模糊的观点相反，我们认为研究工作与临床操作之间联系和交流的强化使得这两个领域的分离日益明显。因此，需要由分子肿瘤委员会来完成新形式的转化。
