iCAN to launch molecular profiling of cancer samples this autumn

In a large-scale study examining various types of cancer, precise information about the cancer tumor is being combined with the patient’s other health data in a novel approach. Samples are collected from patients across HUS with a biobank consent, making them available to other researchers as well.

Molecular profiling is a crucial step in the advancement of precision cancer medicine. It involves identifying the characteristics of a cancer tumor at the molecular level, which can then be used to develop diagnostics and treatment. iCAN aims to utilize molecular profiling, among other things, to enhance the conditions and uptake of digital personalized cancer treatments and diagnostics, ultimately improving patients’ quality of life.

Data from molecular profiling will be returned to the biobank for future research

Cancer patient samples collected in the Helsinki Biobank and the Finnish Hematology Registry and Clinical Biobank (FHRB Biobank) and associated health data will be analyzed in a separate analytical environment in the HUS data pool. The goal is to conduct molecular profiling of at least 15,000 samples. The molecular profiling generated by the study will be returned to the biobank after the project, providing material for future biobank studies as well.

In early 2021, iCAN launched 15 sub-projects involving over 200 experts from HUS and the University of Helsinki. In addition to the FICAN South, the Helsinki Biobank, and the FHRB Biobank, other units such as the HUS Cancer Centre, the Abdominal Center, the Heart and Lung Centre, the Head and Neck Centre, the Neurocenter, the Diagnostic Centre, the Children and Adolescents, and the Gynaecology and Obstetrics units are also part of this extensive, interdisciplinary collaboration.