The application of genomics to cancer, or oncogenomics, may seem straightforward, but the behavior of cancer is dependent on many different genes, how they interact, and the conditions they create for disease to occur. Although it is possible to identify a single gene that may signal a more aggressive type of disease, the analysis of a key set of genes expressed by the tumor can provide far more specific and reliable information. With oncogenomics, it may be possible to individualize cancer assessment, which should dramatically improve the quality of treatment decisions.

The key to utilizing genomics in cancer is determining which sets of genes and gene interactions affect different subsets of cancers. Studies can be performed that link response to therapy or the likelihood of recurrence to the pattern of gene expression in the tumors. These results can then be used to develop clinically validated services that provide the genomic profile of an individual's tumor, allowing healthcare providers to better understand what treatments are most likely to work for that patient or how likely a cancer is to recur. Ultimately, genomics is expected to play a role in each step of the cancer management process.