Approved Research

Integrating Multi-Modal Data in the UK BioBank to Enable Cancer Research

Lay summary

Researchers from Oxford University Hospital will first retrieve microscope pathology images of tumors from UK Biobank participants who developed cancer that have already been collected as part of the patients' care. After ensuring that any identifying information is removed, we will also use computer algorithms to also remove artifacts present in the images, and to identify predictive patterns that correspond to different subtypes of tumors that are known to respond to treatments differently. We will contribute all of the de-identified images, the predicted molecular subtype information, and other information we may be able to measure from the images back to the UK Biobank. This dataset will enable other researchers to study connections between prior health information and the type of tumors that patients later developed, which could lead to new ways of detecting cancer early or improved understanding of genetic factors influencing cancer treatment outcomes.