Recent advances in sequencing technology, computational approaches, and our biological understanding of cancers have revolutionized how we diagnose, prognosticate and treat cancers. Liquid biopsies are now able to detect early cancers at a very stage and relapse well before disease recurrence. Gene expression and methylation signatures led to stratifying cancers that have a poor versus favorable prognosis. The success of basket trials ie. therapy based on genetic aberrations that a patient harbors rather than histopathology are a testament to realizing the promise of genomics in patient care. Despite these early promising results, only a small subset of the patients benefit from these advances, and the broad implementation of precision medicine is sparse. Firstly, despite the reduction of sequencing costs, it is still out of reach for a majority of cancer-treating centers even in the developed world. Overcoming logistical challenges through cost-effective assays or bridging needs with resources is critical. Secondly, in cancers, integration of disparate data sources, such as transcriptome sequencing, somatic aberrations, and genomic aberrations could lead to better yield to improved diagnosis, prognosis, and outcomes. Assays such as liquid-biopsies could not only identify disease early but are non-invasive and reduce involved procedures such as surgery. Thirdly, genomics coupled with other clinical information such as histopathology, radiographic imagining, and patient chart information could yield to more accurate assessment and application of precision medicine. Importantly, advances in research could solve some of these important bottlenecks for the improvement of accessible personalized patient care. In this collection, we aim to bring to the forefront cutting-edge research in cancer genomics that strives to improve precision medicine. We will consider original research articles covering the following criteria:
1) Development of novel computational and biotechnological methods that are transformative to patient care
2) Re-analysis of existing data that reveals novel biological insight that has the potential to transform patient care.
3) Development of methods for integration of disparate datasets drawn from a patient that leads to improved outcomes or reduces the number of procedures performed for patient care.
4) Research that leads to overcoming challenges outlined leading to broader implementation of precision medicine.
Recent advances in sequencing technology, computational approaches, and our biological understanding of cancers have revolutionized how we diagnose, prognosticate and treat cancers. Liquid biopsies are now able to detect early cancers at a very stage and relapse well before disease recurrence. Gene expression and methylation signatures led to stratifying cancers that have a poor versus favorable prognosis. The success of basket trials ie. therapy based on genetic aberrations that a patient harbors rather than histopathology are a testament to realizing the promise of genomics in patient care. Despite these early promising results, only a small subset of the patients benefit from these advances, and the broad implementation of precision medicine is sparse. Firstly, despite the reduction of sequencing costs, it is still out of reach for a majority of cancer-treating centers even in the developed world. Overcoming logistical challenges through cost-effective assays or bridging needs with resources is critical. Secondly, in cancers, integration of disparate data sources, such as transcriptome sequencing, somatic aberrations, and genomic aberrations could lead to better yield to improved diagnosis, prognosis, and outcomes. Assays such as liquid-biopsies could not only identify disease early but are non-invasive and reduce involved procedures such as surgery. Thirdly, genomics coupled with other clinical information such as histopathology, radiographic imagining, and patient chart information could yield to more accurate assessment and application of precision medicine. Importantly, advances in research could solve some of these important bottlenecks for the improvement of accessible personalized patient care. In this collection, we aim to bring to the forefront cutting-edge research in cancer genomics that strives to improve precision medicine. We will consider original research articles covering the following criteria:
1) Development of novel computational and biotechnological methods that are transformative to patient care
2) Re-analysis of existing data that reveals novel biological insight that has the potential to transform patient care.
3) Development of methods for integration of disparate datasets drawn from a patient that leads to improved outcomes or reduces the number of procedures performed for patient care.
4) Research that leads to overcoming challenges outlined leading to broader implementation of precision medicine.