The UK National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Informatics Initiative: promoting partnership in cancer research.

The vast amount of information emerging from cancer research in recent years has presented a challenge for researchers worldwide. The opportunities for using this data to enhance understanding of the disease and advance the delivery of novel anticancer treatments are greater than ever, but will fail to be fully realized unless the necessary tools to collate and analyze the information are developed. This article describes the work of the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Informatics Initiative which aims to maximize the impact of the results of research funded by NCRI Partner organizations for the benefit of cancer patients by ensuring that data generated through research is put to maximum use by the cancer research community.