Cancer Research Horizons has made one the largest oesophageal cancer datasets available for commercial licensing. 

Developed by a team led by Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald at the University of Cambridge, the Oesophageal Cancer Clinical and Molecular Stratification (OCCAMS) dataset represents one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive collections of clinically linked, multi-omics data from oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients.  

The resource includes clinical data from over 4,000 patients across 27 UK centres, encompassing demographic details, treatment regimens, responses, and outcomes, with follow up sometimes spanning more than a decade.  

Five hundred of those patients have been molecularly profiled, generating matched tumour and normal whole genome sequencing, RNA sequencing and methylation arrays, to create a complex multi-modal dataset. 

Oesophageal cancer remains a significant health challenge in the UK, ranking as the 14th most common cancer and among the top five deadliest for both men and women. according to Cancer Research Horizons data. The cancer continues to see a rapid rise in many Western countries due to its link to the obesity epidemic. 

The OCCAMS dataset gives an overview of the evolution of oesophageal cancer at all stages of disease and in response to different treatments and thus has the potential to accelerate the development of new therapies and diagnostic approaches in the future. 

“This dataset was created by a dedicated group of clinicians and scientists who understand the disease and are passionate about improving outcomes for this deadly cancer,” said Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, Head of the Department of Oncology and Director of the Early Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge and Chief Investigator of OCCAMS. 

“We want this data to be used by the academic and commercial community to make a difference.”