NCI Cancer Research Data Commons: Resources to Share Key Cancer Data

Since 2014, the NCI has launched a series of data commons as part of the Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC) ecosystem housing genomic, proteomic, imaging, and clinical data to support cancer research and promote data sharing of NCI-funded studies. This review describes each data commons (Genomic Data Commons, Proteomic Data Commons, Integrated Canine Data Commons, Cancer Data Service, Imaging Data Commons, and Clinical and Translational Data Commons), including their unique and shared features, accomplishments, and challenges. Also discussed is how the CRDC data commons implement Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles and promote data sharing in support of the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See related articles by Brady et al., p. 1384, Pot et al., p. 1396, and Kim et al., p. 1404.

NCI Cancer Research Data Commons: Lessons Learned and Future State

More than ever, scientific progress in cancer research hinges on our ability to combine datasets and extract meaningful interpretations to better understand diseases and ultimately inform the development of better treatments and diagnostic tools. To enable the successful sharing and use of big data, the NCI developed the Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC), providing access to a large, comprehensive, and expanding collection of cancer data. The CRDC is a cloud-based data science infrastructure that eliminates the need for researchers to download and store large-scale datasets by allowing them to perform analysis where data reside. Over the past 10 years, the CRDC has made significant progress in providing access to data and tools along with training and outreach to support the cancer research community. In this review, we provide an overview of the history and the impact of the CRDC to date, lessons learned, and future plans to further promote data sharing, accessibility, interoperability, and reuse. See related articles by Brady et al., p. 1384, Wang et al., p. 1388, and Pot et al., p. 1396.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

A lack of diversity in genomics for health continues to hinder equitable leadership and access to precision medicine approaches for underrepresented populations. To avoid perpetuating biases within the genomics workforce and genomic data collection practices, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) must be addressed. This paper documents the journey taken by the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (a genomics-based standard-setting and policy-framing organization) to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for its standards and members. Initial steps include the creation of two groups: the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisory Group and the Regulatory and Ethics Diversity Group. Following a framework that we call "Reflected in our Teams, Reflected in our Standards," both groups address EDI at different stages in their policy development process.

Through the Lens of Patient Partners: Challenges in Accrual of Older Adults to NCI Clinical Trials

The workshop "Engaging Older Adults in Cancer Clinical Trials Conducted in the NCI Clinical Trials Network: Challenges and Opportunities" included a Patient Stakeholder Workgroup that explored the needs and concerns of older adults with cancer regarding clinical trials. To accomplish this, the workgroup conducted patient focus groups in which participants were interviewed, recorded conversations were analyzed and coded, and salient themes were identified. The focus groups identified general barriers to accrual such as complex consent forms, general communication, restrictive eligibility, nonreferrals, patient costs, cultural insensitivity, limited accessibility in community settings, and transportation issues. They also identified the influence of knowledgeable information presenters, improved care, family or caregiver support, and the desire to help others as drivers or reasons to participate in clinical trials. The workshop concluded that multi-level interventions could be used to increase the accrual of older adults to National Cancer Institute clinical trials as well as others.

GA4GH: International policies and standards for data sharing across genomic research and healthcare

The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) aims to accelerate biomedical advances by enabling the responsible sharing of clinical and genomic data through both harmonized data aggregation and federated approaches. The decreasing cost of genomic sequencing (along with other genome-wide molecular assays) and increasing evidence of its clinical utility will soon drive the generation of sequence data from tens of millions of humans, with increasing levels of diversity. In this perspective, we present the GA4GH strategies for addressing the major challenges of this data revolution. We describe the GA4GH organization, which is fueled by the development efforts of eight Work Streams and informed by the needs of 24 Driver Projects and other key stakeholders. We present the GA4GH suite of secure, interoperable technical standards and policy frameworks and review the current status of standards, their relevance to key domains of research and clinical care, and future plans of GA4GH. Broad international participation in building, adopting, and deploying GA4GH standards and frameworks will catalyze an unprecedented effort in data sharing that will be critical to advancing genomic medicine and ensuring that all populations can access its benefits.

Abstract 2632: Fostering engagement in biobanking and research through the NCI Cancer Moonshot Biobank patient and provider engagement website

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Cancer Moonshot Biobank (the Biobank) aims to accelerate cancer research on treatment resistance and sensitivity through collection of longitudinal biospecimens and health data donated by participants diagnosed with late-stage cancer and receiving standard of care therapy at participating NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) sites.

Participant and provider engagement are a central tenet of the Biobank. We therefore created an innovative website to interface directly with participants and providers and to meet our engagement goals of returning value to stakeholders, operating with transparency, maintaining bi-directional communication, and enrolling a diverse population that represents the U.S. including racial/ethnic minorities, rural populations and others that are historically underrepresented in clinical research. The Biobank engagement website has several features designed to provide return of value to stakeholders. This includes clear information about the program, transparency about how biospecimens and data will be used in research, and the ability to access and download documents such as clinical biomarker tests and signed consent forms. The website also includes project updates, participant and provider resources, and educational material.

The Cancer Moonshot Biobank Participant and Provider Engagement website serves as an important interface between the Biobank and its stakeholders. Its ultimate aim is to facilitate project engagement and return value to participants and providers.

Citation Format: Esmeralda Casas-Silva, Lokesh Agrawal, Helena J. Ellis, Veena Gopalakrishnan, Ping Guan, Mark Jensen, Natalie Madero, Sean McDermott, Jeffrey McLean, Abhi Rao, James Suh, Jane Wanyiri, Carol J. Weil, Mickey Williams, Helen M. Moore. Fostering engagement in biobanking and research through the NCI Cancer Moonshot Biobank patient and provider engagement website [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2632.

Abstract 4763: NCI's Expert-Vetted Biospecimen Evidence-Based Practices (BEBP): A resource for harmonization of biospecimen collection procedures

High quality human biospecimens are essential to clinical diagnosis and treatment and serve as a vital foundation for medical research. Substantial variation in procedures for biospecimen collection, processing, and storage exists within and between institutions. Such variation can have a substantial effect on the quality of biospecimens and the accuracy of downstream analytical results, and is of particular concern at a time of high demand for biospecimens for large-scale studies. Recognizing the need for harmonization of biospecimen practices, the National Cancer Institute (NCI)'s Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research Branch (BBRB) began developing a series of documents known as Biospecimen Evidence-Based Practices (BEBPs). The first of NCI's BEBPs, “Snap-Freezing of Post-surgical Tissue Biospecimens” (https://biospecimens.cancer.gov/global/pdfs/NCI_BEBP_Snap-freezing_of_Post-surgical_Tissue_Biospecimens.pdf), was released in 2014.

BBRB will soon release two new expert-reviewed BEBPs. The first expert-vetted BEBP, “Formalin-Fixation and Paraffin Processing of Tissue Biospecimens”, is a fit-for-purpose guide for formalin fixation, paraffin impregnation, and embedding of human tissues that was reviewed by more than 40 experts as part of a BBRB-sponsored workshop. The second, entitled “DNA and RNA Extraction from Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Tissue Biospecimens”, categorizes steps in the extraction of DNA and RNA that may affect the quality of nucleic acids obtained from FFPE specimens and was reviewed by five experts. Each BEBP has been developed in close partnership with scientists having state-of-the art biospecimen science expertise and a strong publication record. BEBP documents contain step-by-step recommendations and procedural guidelines as well as a summary of supporting literature and expert-derived evidence. Development of each BEBP employs a stringent and thorough analysis of literature indexed in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database and curated in NCI's publicly accessible Biospecimen Research Database (BRD; http://biospecimens.cancer.gov/brd), a free database of peer-reviewed biospecimen science articles. The database also houses over 400 SOPs searchable by numerous parameters including specimen type, preservation, diagnosis, analyte, pre-analytical factors, and technology platform. Given the nuanced requirements for each individual step in biospecimen collection, NCI's BEBPs serve as a framework to inform the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by individual institutions while providing room for flexibility and adaptation. NCI's BBRB continues to add to its BEBP series to improve the reproducibility of molecular data derived from biospecimens. Experts interested in contributing to future BEBPs are encouraged to contact BBRB at ncibbrb@nih.gov.

Citation Format: Esmeralda Casas-Silva, Lori D. Campbell, Kelly Engel, Sarah Greytak, Ping Guan, Helen Moore. NCI's Expert-Vetted Biospecimen Evidence-Based Practices (BEBP): A resource for harmonization of biospecimen collection procedures [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4763.