Cancer and the omics revolution.

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.

DISCUSSION: 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.