The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has partnered with Foundation Medicine, Inc., (FMI) in a new effort to expand the understanding of genomics and clinical data.
This is a core component of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative that President Obama announced in January 2016.
By collaborating with these databases that store a number of patient traits and information, researchers will have a better understanding of the causes of cancer and the mutations that affect different patients.
In June 2016, Vice President Biden announced the launch of the Genomic Data Commons (GDC). This website will allow researchers to upload and share their data among colleagues in the oncology field. It offers a way to standardize data across institutions to help healthcare professionals collaborate on the fight against cancer.
“This major infusion of data in the GDC will greatly enhance our ability to use this tool to explore genetic abnormalities in cancer,” said Douglas Lowy, MD, NCI Acting Director. “We had already established a strong cancer genomic foundation for the GDC at its launch, but with the addition of the genomic data from FMI, we believe that the GDC will be an even more useful resource for researchers worldwide to help us unravel the complexities of many forms of cancer.”