The Global Cancer Genomics Consortium: interfacing genomics and cancer medicine.

The Global Cancer Genomics Consortium (GCGC) is an international collaborative platform that amalgamates cancer biologists, cutting-edge genomics, and high-throughput expertise with medical oncologists and surgical oncologists; they address the most important translational questions that are central to cancer research and treatment. The annual GCGC symposium was held at the Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer, Mumbai, India, from November 9 to 11, 2011. The symposium showcased international next-generation sequencing efforts that explore cancer-specific transcriptomic changes, single-nucleotide polymorphism, and copy number variations in various types of cancers, as well as the structural genomics approach to develop new therapeutic targets and chemical probes. From the spectrum of studies presented at the symposium, it is evident that the translation of emerging cancer genomics knowledge into clinical applications can only be achieved through the integration of multidisciplinary expertise. In summary, the GCGC symposium provided practical knowledge on structural and cancer genomics approaches, as well as an exclusive platform for focused cancer genomics endeavors. ©2012 AACR.