Insights into Carcinogenesis from Genomic Analysis of Lymphoid Cancer

Deciphering cancer biology has emerged as the most demanding biomedical challenge of the 21st century. Cancer is now the single most common cause of death worldwide accounting for more than 12 million new cases and at least 7 million deaths annually. Incidence and mortality will more than double by 2020. Investigators are currently realizing the power of genomics, anchored in the sequencing of the entire human genome and amplified by extraordinary reductions in cost and increases in efficiency, to identify a growing catalogue of mutations and genomic alterations that are present across multiple types and stages of cancer. The broad effort to address this challenge requires and has elicited unprecedented international collaboration. Specimen assembly, analysis, correlation with treatment outcomes and cross-comparison require extensive exchange of ideas, materials and information. A global effort is addressing, and is needed to address, this global problem.

This symposium will explore three aspects of cancer genomics: (1) Genomics and Breast Cancer: insights into cancer biology emerging from genomic analysis of breast cancer, a session focusing on genomic insights into the unique biologic characteristics and responsiveness to hormonal and chemotherapeutic interventions for breast cancer, the most common single type of cancer seen in women worldwide. (2) Cancer Will Yield to Genomic Analysis: exploring the promise of evolving genomic analyses and sequencing techniques for improved understanding of cancer biology, a session examining the impact of evolving genomic analytic techniques on explicating cancer biology. (3) Lymphoid Cancer Genomics: a window into the basic biology of carcinogenesis, a session emphasizing knowledge gained from genomic analyses of lymphoid cancer, the only common human neoplasm routinely curable even when metastatic. Emphasis will be placed on the ways in which international collaboration and powerful new technology facilitate these efforts. The global toll of cancer is obvious and growing. The global genomics research community must respond to this challenge.