A decade ago when genomic science began to move from the ‘cottage industry’ of single gene sequencing to genuine high throughput, the tasks facing bioinformatics were clear. Today, writes McInerney (pages 207–208), the requirements for bioinformatics have changed. The focus is now on how the organism works and how to integrate large amounts of data. These, as well as future changes will result in a more intimate working relationship between bioinformaticist and bench scientists.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the US. Approximately 130 000 new cases of CRC are diagnosed in the US each year with an annual mortality of approximately 56 000 people. Longley et al (pages 209–216) summarise recent attempts to identify those patients at risk of relpase after surgery and those who may benefit most from chemotherapy. They also discuss molecular markers being identified to predict whether a tumour will respond to a particular chemotherapy. The ultimate goal of this research is the tailoring of treatment to the molecular phenotypes of tumour and patient.
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