P-1000

Program Description

The Polyethnic-1000 (P-1000) initiative, overseen by the Genome Center Cancer Group (GCCG) at the New York Genome Center (NYGC), has formed a coalition of over 15 New York regional hospitals and research centers to study cancer genomics in patients belonging to ethnic minority populations, traditionally under-represented in cancer research. After demonstrating its ability to collect and analyze stored tissue samples in a retrospective manner, we are now establishing a dynamic research platform to prospectively enroll patients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, diagnosed with any type of cancer (including pediatric cancers), for molecular profiling with detailed clinical and phenomic annotation.

As part of the platform, there will be multiple P-1000 sub-studies addressing important scientific and clinical questions about the role of ethnicity in cancer biology, including a pan-cancer feasibility study (expected to open Q2 2020) and a minimum of 2 research studies for particular cancer types and ethnicities starting in 2020.

Program Goals and Expected Outcomes

The overall goal of Polyethnic-1000 (P-1000) is to improve outcomes for cancer patients of multiple ethnicities, including those who are generally under-represented in research, by greatly expanding sequencing of inherited and cancer genomes of patients reflecting this diversity.

Through multiple studies within the P-1000 platform, the project will deepen our understanding of the contributions that ethnicities make to the incidence, progression, prognosis, and treatment of cancers, ultimately resulting in better survival outcomes. In addition, our project will bring genomic innovation and precision-medicine approaches into the care of cancer patients who currently lack access to the most recent advances in medical science.

What gaps in existing knowledge will be addressed by the study?

Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies have revolutionized approaches to the prevention, risk assessment, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancers. However, our current knowledge about the molecular attributes of cancer has primarily been derived from patients of European descent, which limits our understanding of disease and may exacerbate health disparities in the United States.

P-1000 is a dynamic, collaborative platform harnessing New York City’s strengths - its diverse population, its vast number of residents, and its outstanding academic medical institutions - to advance cancer genomics and its practice in cancer care.  

Program Team

Funding Organisations