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The Cancer Genome Atlas
Pronunciation
Definition 1
A project to identify the complete set of DNA changes in many different types of cancer. Studying these changes may help researchers understand how different types of cancer form. This may lead to new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. The Cancer Genome Atlas is led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), which are parts of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Also called TCGA. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
A comprehensive and coordinated effort to accelerate understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the application of genome analysis technologies, including large-scale genome sequencing. This project is a joint effort of the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute. (http://cancergenome.nih.gov/abouttcga) (NCI Thesaurus)