New genomic and proteomic biomarker discovery in cancer: revolutionizing diagnosis and prognostication

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Advances in genomic and proteomic biomarker discovery have transformed cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment selection. The evolution from early serological markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to modern multi-omics approaches enabled by next-generation sequencing (NGS), mass spectrometry (MS), and advanced bioinformatics has revolutionized personalized medicine and targeted therapy, leading to improved outcomes. This review highlights the historical evolution of cancer biomarkers and the current landscape of genomic, proteomic, and proteogenomic biomarkers. We emphasize the role of liquid biopsies, artificial intelligence (AI), and integrative multi-omics analytics in accelerating biomarker identification and validation. We also discuss the differential pace of clinical adoption in high-income versus low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and outline ongoing challenges including tumor heterogeneity, standardization, cost, and regulatory barriers. Despite these limitations, recent innovations in multi-omics technologies and AI-driven analysis promise to further advance precision oncology and enable more equitable, personalized cancer care worldwide.