Cancer phenomics: RET and PTEN as illustrative models

Cancer phenomics, the systematic acquisition and objective documentation of host and/or somatic cancer phenotypic data at many levels, is a young field compared with other molecular-based 'omics'. Two relatively advanced phenomic paradigms are associated with phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) and rearranged during transfection (RET), genes that are associated with cancer predisposition syndromes in addition to developmental disorders. The phenomic characterization of PTEN and RET underscores the importance of incorporating robust phenomics into the host 'omic' profile, and shows that the evolution of phenomics will be crucial to the advancement of personalized medicine.