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| The Cancer Genome Atlas Summary
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In the United States, 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 2 men will develop cancer over their lifetime. It is estimated that 1.4 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2006. Cancer is the second most prevalent killer after heart disease. In 2003, over 550,000 or 22.7% of all deaths were due to cancer. Even though much is understand about the biology of cancer, there is still a critical need to improve our ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.
In late 2005, The National Cancer Institute and The National Human Genome Research Institute announced a 3-year, joint project to advance our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the use of genome analysis technologies, including large-scale genome sequencing. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pilot Project will use a full-scale effort to systematically explore the entire spectrum of changes in the DNA content of tumors. Three cancers are to be studied in this pilot project - lung, brain (glioblastoma) and ovarian. Lung cancer is the major cause of cancer-related mortality in both men and women, with an estimated 162,460 deaths expected to occur in 2006. Over 18,000 new cases of brain cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Glioblastomas are often fatal, malignant brain tumors that grow and spread very aggressively, and are the most frequently occurring type of brain cancer. An estimated 20,180 new cases of ovarian cancer and an estimated 15,310 deaths from the disease are expected in the United States in 2006. Often detected late, ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.
TCGA pilot project incorporates four components: a Biospecimen Core Resource, Cancer Genome Characterization Centers, Genome Sequencing Centers, and a Principal Bioinformatics Resource. These components are based at institutions across the nation and their functions range from collection and banking of tissue samples to molecular characterization to high-throughput sequencing and complex statistical analysis. Data from the TCGA Pilot Project will provide researchers and clinicians with an early glimpse of an "atlas" describing the genomic changes in all types of cancer. TCGA will ultimately enable researchers throughout the world to analyze and use the data to develop a new generation of targeted diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventives for all cancers, and will pave the way for more personalized cancer medicine. |
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