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The Icelandic Cancer Project – a population-wide approach to studying cancer

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 4, pages 488–492 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Cancer initiation and progression require a complex interaction of genetic, environmental and clinical factors. Most research, however, has been focused on only a narrow aspect of the disease process. Data generated by the Human Genome Project, as well as large-scale molecular analysis of tumours, have indicated that a more systematic approach, in which the biological information is integrated with clinical features, is warranted. There are many aspects of the Icelandic population that make it well suited for such a broad-based approach. The Icelandic Cancer Project was therefore initiated to build a population-based clinical genomics database and biobank that can be used to study cancer — from genetic predisposition to clinical outcome.

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Figure 1: The structure of the Icelandic Cancer Project and the resulting biobank and database.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Iceland Genomics Corporation, Snorrabraut 60, Reykjavik, 105, Iceland

    Thorunn Rafnar, Steinunn Thorlacius, Eirikur Steingrimsson, Violeta Calian & Bjarki J. Eldon

  2. the Bioinformatics ApS, Hoegh Guldbergsgade 10, Arhus C, 8000, Denmark

    Mikkel H. Schierup, Jesper N. Madsen & Jotun Hein

  3. Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Thorvaldur Jonsson

  4. the Laboratory of Experimental Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Building 37, Room 4146A1, 37 Convent Drive, MSC4262, Bethesda, 20892-4262, MD, USA

    Snorri S. Thorgeirsson

Authors
  1. Thorunn Rafnar
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  2. Steinunn Thorlacius
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  3. Eirikur Steingrimsson
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  4. Mikkel H. Schierup
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  5. Jesper N. Madsen
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  6. Violeta Calian
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  7. Bjarki J. Eldon
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  8. Thorvaldur Jonsson
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  9. Jotun Hein
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  10. Snorri S. Thorgeirsson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Snorri S. Thorgeirsson.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

Thorun Rafnar, SteinunnThorlacius, Eirikur Steingrimsson, Violeta Calian and Bjarki J. Eldon are employees of IGC and have stock options in the company.

Mikkel H. Schierup and Jotun Hein are scientific advisors to Bioinformatics ApS and hold stock in the company.

Jesper N. Madsen is an employee of Bioinformatics ApS.

Thorvaldur Jonsson is a consultant for IGC and has stock options in the company.

Snorri S. Thorgeirsson is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of IGC and holds stock in the company.

Supplementary information

Related links

Related links

DATABASES

Cancer.gov

breast cancer

chronic myeloid leukaemia

male breast cancer

prostate cancer

Entrez Gene

BRCA1

BRCA2

OMIM

hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer

Li–Fraumeni syndrome

FURTHER INFORMATION

The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project

The Cancer Genome Project

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Rafnar, T., Thorlacius, S., Steingrimsson, E. et al. The Icelandic Cancer Project – a population-wide approach to studying cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 4, 488–492 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc1371

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc1371

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