Pan-Cancer and Molecular Oncology community

While all cancers are molecularly distinct, reflecting their different cell types of origin and the myriad genomic alterations that promote oncogenesis, many tumours share similar genetic alterations that disrupt common biological processes. Charting this molecular landscape, including both commonalities and differences across tumour types, allows us to better understand the functional origins of cancers, define their molecular subtypes, identify clinically relevant biomarkers, and predict therapeutic response. The Pan-Cancer and Molecular Oncology community will carry out research across all tumour and germline samples present in the NGRL. It will use the data to identify and investigate driver mutations across tumours, to find functional alterations and impaired biological mechanisms common to all/many cancers, and to establish whether there are common mutational signatures that affect treatment efficacy and toxicity.

• The detection of somatic genetic abnormalities underlying development of specific cancer types, including rare and noncoding driver mutations.
• Discovery of fundamental processes common to many or all cancer types (oncogenic processes).
• Identification of therapeutic targets for drug discovery or repurposing, or therapies effective in one cancer type that could be extended into others with a similar genomic profile.
• Identification of biomarkers to facilitate early detection and treatment.
• Exploration of new technologies and their ability to expand our understanding of cancer across the board.