| TCGA Research Network

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) involves a broad cross-section of the cancer research community, including basic and clinical researchers, bioethicists, doctors, nurses, cancer patients and advocates. The TCGA pilot project works through a network of five components, each critical to the success of the program:

Biospecimen Core Resource – Tissue samples are carefully cataloged, processed, checked for quality and stored, complete with important medical information about the patient. All information that could be linked to a specific patient is removed before making the data publicly accessible.

Tissue Source Sites (TSS) Contributing to TCGA – Tumor samples that meet the requirements for TCGA are critical to the program’s success.

Cancer Genome Characterization Centers (CGCCs) – Several technologies will be used to analyze the genetic changes involved in cancer. The genetic changes that are identified will be further studied by the Genome Sequencing Centers.

Genome Sequencing Centers (GSCs) – High-throughput genome sequencing centers will identify the changes in the DNA sequences that are associated with specific types of cancer.

Data Coordinating Center (DCC) – The information that is generated by TCGA will be centrally managed at the DCC and entered into public databases as it becomes available. Centralization of data facilitates data transfer between the network and the research community and makes data analysis more efficient.