title: Cancer and the omics revolution.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Internal medicine is in flux because of the 'omics revolution', with cancer medicine being a good example. Molecular technologies that detect alterations in gene-based structure or function are having an impact on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this article, recent advances in gene-based characterisation of cancer are presented, and illustrated where possible by clinical applications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The research-based vision of precision medicine is now on its way to becoming a clinical reality. A key limiting factor is the small number of therapeutic options available for customisation, which contrasts with the rising abundance of omics-derived data. However, further translational progress is anticipated over the next decade.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Frank P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D059785:Karyotype; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D012313:RNA / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012196:Review Literature as Topic
chemical_list: D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA