Genomic innovations in cancer prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and precision therapeutics

Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

Cancer research has undergone a transformative change with the advent of high-throughput genomic technologies. Advances in next-generation sequencing accelerated the identification of somatic and germline alterations that drive tumorigenesis enabling the transition from traditional histology-based cancer classification to molecularly informed precision oncology. Large-scale sequencing initiatives and clinical genomic profiling facilitated the development of companion diagnostic assays and targeted therapies. Beyond targeted therapies, genomic innovations have also catalyzed the emergence of novel therapeutic strategies including immunogenomics-driven immunotherapies, RNA-based therapeutics, cancer vaccines and genome editing technologies based on CRISPR-Cas systems. This review summarizes the major technological developments in cancer genomics, including sequencing platforms, transcriptomic profiling, liquid biopsy, and functional genomic screening, and highlights the utility of these innovations in discovery of actionable biomarkers and next-generation therapeutic strategies. Collectively, these advances underscore the central role of genomic technologies in driving the evolution of precision oncology toward more personalized and effective cancer treatment strategies.