Abstract
Background: The use of DNA microarray technology to predict cancer outcome already has a history of almost a decade. Although many breakthroughs have been made, the promise of individualized therapy is still not fulfilled. In addition, new technologies are emerging that also show promise in outcome prediction of cancer patients. Objective: The impact of DNA microarray and other ‘omics’ technologies on the outcome prediction of cancer patients was investigated. Whether integration of omics data results in better predictions was also examined. Methods: DNA microarray technology was focused on as a starting point because this technology is considered to be the most mature technology from all omics technologies. Next, emerging technologies that may accomplish the same goals but have been less extensively studied are described. Conclusion: Besides DNA microarray technology, other omics technologies have shown promise in predicting the cancer outcome or have potential to replace microarray technology in the near future. Moreover, it is shown that integration of multiple omics data can result in better predictions of cancer outcome; but, owing to the lack of comprehensive studies, validation studies are required to verify which omics has the most information and whether a combination of multiple omics data improves predictive performance.
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