Historical Perspective and Current Challenges of Cancer Genomics

From the first descriptions of cancer in Egypt around 3000 BC to our current "one week" whole-genome sequence, the history of integrating new ideas into the practice of medicine has been unrelenting, although not without its failures as well its successes. This chapter represents a brief historical summary of some of the key success stories in our understanding of cancer that has led to our current age of cancer genomics. As the Chinese proverb states, "When you drink from the well, remember who dug it", and reflecting on this rich and varied history, we conclude the chapter with a discussion of current and future challenges to the application of our new and developing understanding of cancer genomes to patient therapy.