Profile is one of the nation's most comprehensive precision cancer medicine initiatives. The project was launched as a large-scale cohort research study by scientists at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center (DF/BC), aimed at collecting as much information and genomic data as possible for every type of cancer.
The long-term goals of Profile are to:
- Determine the genetic and molecular alterations that cause cancer to develop and progress.
- Match targeted therapies best suited for patients based on their cancer genomic profile.
- Develop better ways to treat cancer and identify prevention strategies.
The database of tumor genomic profiling data derived from a very large number of patients linked to clinical information makes Profile a powerful tool for discovery and personalized cancer medicine. This database, which adheres to emerging IT standards, will also support proposals for new research studies and clinical trials.
CCG is the research and development group within the Precision Cancer Medicine effort at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital. Working with Profile, CCG evaluates and develops new techniques and assays designed to increase our ability to detect genomic alterations which will better inform clinicians as to what therapeutic avenues are most likely to positively impact cancer patients.
As part of its mission, Profile will implement these innovative technologies in a CLIA-certified clinical environment, to further understand the genomic mutations that drive cancer and how to develop personalized treatment programs that are most effective for individual patients. Our Bioinformatics group bridges both efforts by developing sophisticated analytical tools that mine the sequence data, translating results into research and clinical information.