In cancer research and in the clinic, biomarker assays can be used to not only identify the presence of a tumour, but also to determine its stage, subtype, and ability to respond to therapy. Biomarkers are therefore invaluable tools for cancer detection, diagnosis, patient prognosis and treatment selection. This special Focus issue of Nature Reviews Cancer discusses issues surrounding important genetic, epigenetic and protein biomarkers of cancer, including how these can be used to better understand tumour formation and to develop new therapeutic approaches.
From the editors
From the editors
doi:10.1038/nrc1805
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 91
Research highlights
Biomarkers: Marked aggression
Kristine Novak
doi:10.1038/nrc1806
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 96
Biomarkers: Taking out the trash
Kristine Novak
doi:10.1038/nrc1807
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 92
Biomarkers: Different treatment
Patrick Goymer
doi:10.1038/nrc1808
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 94-95
Trial watch: Predicting treatment outcome | Predicting disease progression
doi:10.1038/nrc1809
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 95
Reviews
Common markers of proliferation
Michael L. Whitfield, Lacy K. George, Gavin D. Grant and Charles M. Perou
doi:10.1038/nrc1802
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 99-106
Epigenetic gene silencing in cancer – a mechanism for early oncogenic pathway addiction?
Stephen B. Baylin and Joyce E. Ohm
doi:10.1038/nrc1799
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 107-116
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a model for the pharmacogenomics of cancer therapy
Meyling H. Cheok and William E. Evans
doi:10.1038/nrc1800
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 117-129
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for cancer prevention: promise, perils and pharmacogenetics
Cornelia M. Ulrich, Jeannette Bigler and John D. Potter
doi:10.1038/nrc1801
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 130-140
Perspectives
Host genetics influence tumour metastasis
Kent Hunter
doi:10.1038/nrc1803
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 141-146
Mapping normal and cancer cell signalling networks: towards single-cell proteomics
Jonathan M. Irish, Nikesh Kotecha and Garry P. Nolan
doi:10.1038/nrc1804
Nature Reviews Cancer 6, 146-155