Help Defeat Cancer
Encyclopedia
The Help Defeat Cancer project ran on World Community Grid
from July 20, 2006 to April 2007. It seeks to improve the ability of medical professionals to determine the best treatment options for patients with cancer
s of the breast
, head, or neck
. The project worked by identifying visual patterns in large numbers of tissue microarray
s taken from archived tissue
samples. By correlating
the pattern data with information about treatment and patient outcome, the results of this project could help provide better targeted treatment options
.
World Community Grid
World Community Grid is an effort to create the world's largest public computing grid to tackle scientific research projects that benefit humanity...
from July 20, 2006 to April 2007. It seeks to improve the ability of medical professionals to determine the best treatment options for patients with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
s of the breast
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, head, or neck
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
. The project worked by identifying visual patterns in large numbers of tissue microarray
Tissue microarray
Tissue microarrays consist of paraffin blocks in which up to 1000 separate tissue cores are assembled in array fashion to allow multiplex histological analysis.-History:...
s taken from archived tissue
Tissue (biology)
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
samples. By correlating
Correlation
In statistics, dependence refers to any statistical relationship between two random variables or two sets of data. Correlation refers to any of a broad class of statistical relationships involving dependence....
the pattern data with information about treatment and patient outcome, the results of this project could help provide better targeted treatment options
Management of cancer
Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient...
.