NIH launches genomic data system for cancer research

The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, today launched a centralized data system for sharing cancer genomic and clinical data between researchers as part of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot and Precision Medicine initiatives. The Genomic Data Commons will include data from large NCI programs such as the Cancer Genome Atlas and other researchers willing to share their data broadly. “With the GDC, NCI has made a major commitment to maintaining long-term storage of cancer genomic data and providing researchers with free access to these data,” said NCI Acting Director Douglas Lowy, M.D. “Importantly, the explanatory power of data in the GDC will grow over time as data from more patients are included, and ultimately the GDC will accelerate our efforts in precision medicine.”