DNA strands intertwining with a cityscape, symbolizing the integration of genomics and public health.

Decoding Cancer: How Genomics is Changing Public Health

Elliot Brynn in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"A deep dive into how genomic research is reshaping cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for a healthier future."

For decades, cancer has been a formidable public health challenge, ranking as the second leading cause of death worldwide. While claims suggest a decline in cancer death rates due to increased awareness, early detection, and improved treatments, the reality is that cancer remains a major concern. It accounts for 23% of total deaths, marginally behind heart disease at 24%.

Lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers are the most prevalent, collectively contributing to nearly half of all cancer-related deaths. Among these, lung cancer is particularly devastating, responsible for over a quarter of all cancer fatalities. Interestingly, men generally experience higher cancer mortality rates than women, except in specific age groups.

The interplay between lifestyle factors (diet, hormone exposure, physical activity) environmental risks (radiation, chemicals) and human genomics is critical in understanding cancer epidemiology. In 2010, a staggering 43% of cancer cases and approximately 50% of cancer deaths were attributed to lifestyle and environmental factors, highlighting the potential for prevention and personalized intervention strategies.

The Genomic Revolution in Cancer Care

DNA strands intertwining with a cityscape, symbolizing the integration of genomics and public health.

The special issue "Cancer Genomics and Public Health" compiles systematic reviews, perspectives, and original research articles that delve into the intersection of cancer genomics and public health. The research explores informatics, knowledge bases, new technologies and strategies to fight cancer.

The economic and emotional toll of cancer is immense, encompassing premature deaths, lost productivity, treatment costs, and diminished quality of life for survivors. As populations age, the impact of cancer on public health is likely to escalate, underscoring the urgency of innovative solutions.

Personalized Medicine: Schütte and colleagues advocate for personalized medicine strategies in cancer drug therapy, emphasizing comprehensive analyses of patient and tumor DNA and RNA.
PDX Models: Perales-Patón and collaborators explore patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models to tailor treatments for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), offering a way to test treatments and select therapies.
Early Detection: Malats and coworkers underscore the importance of genomics in cancer prevention and early detection, identifying genetic markers for high-risk populations.

To translate the ever-increasing flow of information into actionable knowledge, multidisciplinary collaborations and innovative technologies are essential. Microfluidics, with its low-invasive nature, is gaining traction in cancer theranostics. Panagiotara and colleagues highlight the potential of microfluidic-based exosome isolation techniques for clinical implementation, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Turning Data into Action: The Future of Cancer Genomics

The surge in high-throughput data necessitates functional in silico analysis. Martín-Antoniano and colleagues introduce DoriTool, a user-friendly pipeline integrating biological data from various functional tools, facilitating the extraction of biologically meaningful insights.

Bhat and coworkers present 1-CMDb, a comprehensive database of genomic elements within one-carbon metabolism pathways. This database aims to facilitate the integration of information into large-scale network analyses, fostering a deeper understanding of tissue homeostasis.

Ultimately, this special issue on cancer genomics aims to underscore the significance of new technologies and information tools in improving outcomes for cancer patients. The hope is that the included articles will stimulate synergies, transforming information growth into knowledge growth and, ultimately, practical clinical implementation and beyond.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1159/000479811, Alternate LINK

Title: Cancer Genomics And Public Health

Subject: Genetics (clinical)

Journal: Public Health Genomics

Publisher: S. Karger AG

Authors: Núria Malats, Theodora Katsila, George P. Patrinos

Published: 2017-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

How does genomics contribute to cancer prevention and early detection?

Genomics plays a crucial role in cancer prevention through the identification of genetic markers for high-risk populations, allowing for early detection and personalized interventions. Malats and coworkers underscore the importance of genomics in cancer prevention and early detection. This is vital because early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes and reduces mortality rates.

What is the role of personalized medicine in cancer drug therapy, and what type of analyses does it involve?

Personalized medicine in cancer drug therapy involves conducting comprehensive analyses of patient and tumor DNA and RNA to tailor treatments to the individual's unique genomic profile. Schütte and colleagues advocate for these personalized medicine strategies. This approach can improve treatment effectiveness and reduce adverse effects by targeting specific genetic mutations or variations that drive cancer growth.

How do patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models help in tailoring treatments for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)?

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models are used to test and select therapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by implanting patient tumor cells into mice. Perales-Patón and collaborators explore these PDX models. This allows researchers to observe how the tumor responds to different treatments in a living system, which can help guide treatment decisions for individual patients. Missing information in the text includes how the PDX models are created, and how the response in the model is translated to recommendations for a patient.

What is the significance of microfluidics in cancer theranostics, particularly in resource-limited settings?

Microfluidics, particularly microfluidic-based exosome isolation techniques, offers a low-invasive approach for cancer theranostics. Panagiotara and colleagues highlight the potential of these techniques. This is especially valuable in resource-limited settings, enabling more accessible and cost-effective cancer monitoring and treatment. This technique allows the extraction of information from bodily fluids with minimal intervention.

What is DoriTool, and how does it aid in extracting biologically meaningful insights from genomic data?

DoriTool is a user-friendly pipeline that integrates biological data from various functional tools to facilitate the extraction of biologically meaningful insights from high-throughput data. Martín-Antoniano and colleagues introduce this tool. This functional in silico analysis streamlines the process of turning complex genomic data into actionable knowledge for cancer research and treatment. However, the article does not go into detail on the architecture of the pipeline.