Much debate surrounds the matter of personalised medicine. The problem of new treatments at high costs is usually mentioned in relation with inequalities and problems of access to care. But there is also an urgent need to discuss the impossibility for many healthcare systems in the world to provide myriad new diagnostic procedures and treatments to all populations. In this editorial, the current situation from a global perspective will be analysed and the position of some of the leading cancer organisations will be presented. We also discuss some possible actions to be developed to overcome this urgent and contradictory situation.
