Abstract

One of the most striking outcomes of the cancer genome projects is that tumors of similar types and clinical responses can have patterns of mutations that are strikingly different. Despite these differences, it is becoming very clear that tumor alterations hijack the same hallmark molecular pathways and networks. Thus, a complete vision for cancer precision medicine requires not only genome sequencing, but interpretation of these genomes against a comprehensive map of cancer molecular networks. We have recently started The Cancer Cell Map Initiative (CCMI), aimed at systematically detailing the physical and genetic interactions among cancer genes and how these connections differ between diseased and healthy states. I will describe recent progress in technology and thinking that supports the creation of such a cancer cell map across a range of tissue types, as well as how such a resource can be used to match patient genomes with prognostic and predictive outcomes.