Personalised medicine. Bringing narrative tools to Carpem

How can a cutting-edge research programme with its concomitant experimental and therapeutical applications such as CAncer Research and PErsonalised Medicine (Carpem), with a strong rationalistic component and deeply focused on the disease, correspond to the ethical dimension of medicine process involving the patient as a collaborative member? The first part of this article describes the challenges and the present state of the Carpem programme, its multi-system model and the differential value of the interpersonal, relational and communicative abilities involved, emphasizing the need for the human and social sciences. In line with the multidisciplinary cross-work developed between the authors, the second part interrogates the concept of “personalised medicine” in the light of the “Narrative turn” of narrative-based medicine (NBM) and proposes a framework derived from literary studies resorting to concepts and tools such as dialogism, (close) listening, and body/language reciprocity to promote interaction, interpretation and care, towards a Patient-centred precision medicine.