Cancer genomics is the study of the complete set of genetic and genomic alterations that drive the development and progression of cancer. It investigates how changes in DNA, including point mutations, copy-number gains and losses, structural rearrangements, and epigenetic modifications, as well as the resulting chan…
Cancer genomics is the study of the complete set of genetic and genomic alterations that drive the development and progression of cancer. It investigates how changes in DNA, including point mutations, copy-number gains and losses, structural rearrangements, and epigenetic modifications, as well as the resulting changes in gene and protein expression, transform normal cells into malignant ones and shape tumor behavior. By systematically cataloguing the somatic and inherited variants present in tumors, the field distinguishes driver alterations that confer a growth advantage from passenger changes, and it characterizes the molecular pathways disrupted in different cancers. These insights support more precise classification, earlier and more accurate diagnosis, identification of prognostic and predictive biomarkers, and the rational selection of targeted and personalized therapies. Cancer genomics also illuminates mechanisms of treatment resistance, for example through gene-expression analyses revealing how tumor cells acquire resistance to therapeutic agents, and it intersects with proteomics to connect genomic change to functional consequences in cancer cells. The discipline relies heavily on high-throughput sequencing, expression profiling, and bioinformatic analysis to interpret large and complex datasets and to place variants within biological networks. By linking the genomic landscape of tumors to clinical outcomes, cancer genomics underpins the move toward molecularly guided oncology, informing diagnosis, risk stratification, therapeutic targeting, and the monitoring of disease and resistance over time.
8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 8 articles above have been cited 19 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cancer Genomics, linking to each citing work.