Each year, more than one million people receive a cancer diagnosis. Research to find a cure has produced tremendous amounts of data; sharing that information throughout the medical community could speed the discovery of new treatments.
To accelerate research, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) envisioned a network using interoperable tools, data standards, and infrastructure. The NCI’s Center for Bioinformatics (NCICB) engaged Booz Allen Hamilton to help develop this system.
Booz Allen, NCICB, and cancer researchers nationwide developed the cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid™ (caBIG™), connecting individuals and institutions to a global network of cancer research. The firm brought researchers and senior NCI leadership together to identify the tools needed to standardize research and improve collaboration.
More important, Booz Allen helped researchers contribute to the construction of the tools necessary to maximize the utility of caBIG™, eliminating the disconnect that often occurs between users and developers of software.
caBIG™ has fostered connections throughout the cancer research community, cancer centers, and federal, academic, non-profit, and industry organizations. Together, they’ve generated over 40 new products, including biomedical tools, datasets, and infrastructure such as the Cancer Tissue Database (caTISSUE), already used by non-cancer researchers.
The National Institutes of Health is studying caBIG™ as a model for other medical research informatics initiatives. Expanding the use of caBIG™ could help medical scientists identify results earlier. Speeding the transmission of information from the lab to the patient’s bedside and back may eventually close the gap between research and treatment.
Download a PDF version of the case study entitled, "The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Bioinformatics: Building Connections to Defeat Cancer."
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