Facilitating a culture of responsible and effective sharing of cancer genome data.

Siu LL1, Lawler M2, Haussler D3, Knoppers BM4, Lewin J1, Vis DJ5, Liao RG6, Andre F7, Banks I8, Barrett JC9, Caldas C10, Camargo AA11, Fitzgerald RC10,Mao M12, Mattison JE13, Pao W14, Sellers WR15, Sullivan P16, Teh BT17, Ward RL18, ZenKlusen JC19, Sawyers CL20, Voest EE5.

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Abstract

Rapid and affordable tumor molecular profiling has led to an explosion of clinical and genomic data poised to enhance the diagnosis, prognostication and treatment of cancer. A critical point has now been reached at which the analysis and storage of annotated clinical and genomic information in unconnected silos will stall the advancement of precision cancer care. Information systems must be harmonized to overcome the multiple technical and logistical barriers to data sharing. Against this backdrop, the Global Alliance for Genomic Health (GA4GH) was established in 2013 to create a common framework that enables responsible, voluntary and secure sharing of clinical and genomic data. This Perspective from the GA4GH Clinical Working Group Cancer Task Team highlights the data-aggregation challenges faced by the field, suggests potential collaborative solutions and describes how GA4GH can catalyze a harmonized data-sharing culture.