A proposal: a comprehensive platform to characterize tumors in Chinese and improve success in cancer drug discovery and development

Cancer is a collection of complex diseases in which cell proliferation and apoptosis are dysregulated due to the acquisition of genetic changes in cancer cells. These genetic changes, combined with the interrelated physiologic adaptations of neo-angiogenesis, recruitment of stromal support tissues, and suppression of immune recognition, are measurable characteristics in tumor gene expression profiles and biochemical pathways. These measures can lead to identification of disease drivers and, ultimately, can be used to assign therapy. With advances in RNA sequencing technologies, the ability to simultaneously measure all genetic and gene expression changes with a single technology is now possible. The ability to create a comprehensive catalog of genotypic and phenotypic changes in a collection of histologically similar but otherwise distinct tumors should allow for a more precise positioning of existing targeted therapies and identification of new targets for intervention.