Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. A recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows that the number of people suffering from this deadly disease continues to rise. The National Cancer Registry reports that one in nine people in India is likely to develop cancer in their lifetime and currently 14,61,427 people are living with cancer. The incidence of cancer is expected to increase by 12.8% annually from 2022.
Despite its high cancer incidence, India remains underrepresented in global cancer genomic studies. In the absence of genomic architectures for common cancers in India, genetic variants specific to Indian cancers are not fully captured and catalogued for diagnostic kits and drug development.
To fill the gap in the genomic landscape of various cancers in India, IIT Madras initiated the Cancer Genome Program in 2020. Under this program, a total of 960 exome sequencing from 480 breast cancer patients collected across the country was completed.
IIT Madras in collaboration with Karkinos Healthcare, Mumbai, Breast Clinic Chennai and Cancer Research and Relief Trust, Chennai have analysed the data and compiled an anonymised overview of genetic variants from breast cancer samples in India. This assumes significance in the context of World Cancer Day tomorrow (February 4, 2025).
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, announced the completion of the sequencing of the Indian breast cancer genome and the launch of the ‘Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas’ (BCGA) at the campus today (February 3, 2025).
The institute has made this database publicly available at bcga.iitm.ac.in for researchers and clinicians in India and abroad.
Prof. Emphasizing the benefits of the ‘Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas’ not only to India but also to the global research community, V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “True to our commitment to ‘IITM for All’ to the community, we are yet another health-related data, the second in this academic year, on cancer genomes after the brain data. We hope this data will provide insights into the causes of this deadly disease and help prevent it through early interventions. The Atlas fills the gap in the genomic landscape from different cancers in the country. It provides a compendium of genetic variants representative of the contemporary Indian breast cancer population to classify variants associated with early diagnosis, disease progression and treatment outcomes.”
Project Coordinator Prof. S. Mahalingam, Head, Centre of Excellence in Cancer Genetics and Molecular Therapy, IIT Madras, further explained about the initiative: “This database will be an invaluable resource for identifying cancer-specific biomarkers in India, which will help in early detection of breast cancer. Furthermore, identifying new drug targets will also be helpful in developing better treatment strategies tailored to the Indian population.” Further
, added Professor S. Mahalingam, also a faculty member at the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, “BCGA also aims to archive data from researchers working on cancer genomics across cancer types and will be open to accepting submissions. The data will be used to “identify biomarkers to identify high-risk groups, monitor cancer progression, design personalized treatment strategies and understand treatment outcomes.”
This genome map also provides knowledge about the genetic basis of cancer progression and development and can help biomedical research and the healthcare system in India move towards the vision of “personalized medicine,”may improve the standard of medical care by including an individual’s genetics and molecular information in clinical decision making.
The analysis was conducted under the auspices of the National Centre for Precision Medicine in Cancer, an initiative between IIT Madras and Karkinos Healthcare to accelerate interdisciplinary research and develop affordable cancer treatment solutions.
