Although all cancers share common hallmarks, we have long realized that there is no silver-bullet treatment for the disease. Many clinical oncologists specialize in a single cancer type, based predominantly on the tissue of origin. With advances brought by genetics and cancer genomic research, we now know that cancers are profoundly different, both in origins and in genetic alterations. At the same time, commonalities such as key driver mutations, altered pathways, mutational, immune and microbial signatures and other areas (many revealed by pan-cancer studies) point to the intriguing possibility of targeting common traits across diverse cancer types with the same therapeutic strategies. Studies designed to delineate differences and similarities across cancer types are thus critical in discerning the basic dynamics of oncogenesis, as well as informing diagnoses, prognoses and therapies. We anticipate growing emphases on the development and application of therapies targeting underlying commonalities of different cancer types, while tailoring to the unique tissue environment and intrinsic molecular fingerprints of each cancer type and subtype. Here we summarize the facets of pan-cancer research and how they are pushing progress toward personalized medicine.

尽管所有癌症都有共同的特征，但我们早就意识到，没有针对该疾病的灵丹妙药。许多临床肿瘤学家专注于单一癌症类型，主要基于起源组织。随着遗传学和癌症基因组研究的进步，我们现在知道癌症在起源和基因改变方面都有很大的不同。与此同时，关键驱动突变、改变的通路、突变、免疫和微生物特征以及其他领域（泛癌研究揭示了很多）等共性表明，使用相同的治疗方法针对不同癌症类型的共同特征具有有趣的可能性策略。因此，旨在描述不同癌症类型的差异和相似性的研究对于辨别肿瘤发生的基本动态至关重要，以及为诊断、预后和治疗提供信息。我们预计将越来越重视针对不同癌症类型的潜在共性的疗法的开发和应用，同时针对每种癌症类型和亚型的独特组织环境和内在分子指纹进行定制。在这里，我们总结了泛癌研究的各个方面，以及它们如何推动个性化医疗的进展。