CXCL8 and cancer: This benchmarking approach allows a rigorous head-to-head comparison across diverse analytes, including viral antigens (e.g., HPV-16, SARS-CoV-2), cancer protein biomarkers (e.g., PSA, CYFRA-21-1, IL-8), metabolic analytes (e.g., glucose, uric acid), and small molecule hormones (e.g., cortisol), highlighting both promising candidates and translational bottlenecks.