NCG Data Bank Workshop
Building a Connected Data Ecosystem for
Cancer Research, Innovation and Care
About the Workshop
The National Cancer Grid in collaboration with ArtPark & University of Chicago is bringing together experts from cancer care, research, data science, technology, digital health & policy to explore the development of the NCG Data Bank - a trusted & scalable data ecosystem designed to unlock the potential of cancer data across India.
Organized By:
Key Details
- Dates: 4 – 6 February 2027
- Venue: Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
The NCG Data Bank Vision:
From Data to Impact
Building the Data Foundation for the Future of Cancer Care
Cancer care generates vast amounts of information across clinical care, imaging, pathology, genomics and outcomes research. However, the value of this data is limited when information remains fragmented across institutions, systems and formats. A connected data ecosystem can help enable the responsible use of this information for research, AI model development, analytics and improved patient care.
The NCG Data Bank aims to explore how data from across the NCG ecosystem can be brought together through common approaches to data standards, harmonization, governance, secure infrastructure and responsible data stewardship.
Workshop Objectives?
The core objective of the workshop is to explore how data-driven insights can contribute to improvements in cancer care & patient outcomes at large. The workshop will explore how the NCG Data Bank can create value across the following areas:
Research
Enable collaborative research through access to structured and research-ready data.AI Model Training
Support the development and validation of AI models using appropriately governed data.Analytics
Enable analysis of patterns, trends and insights across cancer data.
Expected Outcomes
From Discussion to Action: The workshop is designed to move beyond discussion and toward practical recommendations for developing the NCG Data Bank.
By the end of the workshop, participants will work toward:
Data Harmonization Recommendations
Recommendations for approaches to cancer data harmonization.
Governance & Trust
Principles
Principles for responsible data governance, stewardship, access and use.
Technical Infrastructure Priorities
Identification of infrastructure and technology requirements.
Priority Use Cases & Pilot Opportunities
Identification of opportunities where the NCG Data Bank can demonstrate value.
An Implementation
Roadmap
A roadmap outlining potential priorities and next steps for building the NCG Data Bank.
Workshop at a Glance
Three Days. One Shared Vision.
Day 1
Focus: Cancer Data Commons Fundamentals
What Participants Will Do:
Build a shared understanding of data commons, D4CG, data governance, harmonization and MIDAS
Fundamentals: Setting the Context
Topics Include:
- Why Cancer Data Harmonization Matters
- What is a Cancer Data Commons?
- D4CG Case Studies
- Data Governance and Trust
- Data Standards and Harmonization
- MIDAS Data Architecture
- Interactive Q&A and Participant Polling
Day 2
Focus: Working Groups & Current State
What Participants Will Do:
Understand India's current landscape and work across five focused tracks
Working Groups: Exploring the Current State & Priorities
Topics Include:
- Opening Plenary
- Cancer Data as a Digital Public Good
- India's Cancer Data and Infrastructure Landscape
- Current Challenges and Opportunities
- Five Focused Working Groups
- Working Group Report-Outs
Day 3
Focus: Roadmap & Implementation
What Participants Will Do:
Develop recommendations, priorities and an actionable roadmap for India
Roadmap: From Priorities to Roadmap
Topics Include:
- Working Group Planning
- Governance Framework
- Data Standards and Harmonization Roadmap
- Technical Infrastructure Roadmap
- Priority use Cases
- Sustainability and Implementation
- Cross-Working-Group Integration
- India Cancer Data Commons Roadmap
- Closing Plenary
Interested in Shaping the NCG Data Bank?
Cancer care generates vast amounts of information across clinical care, imaging, pathology, genomics and outcomes research. However, the value of this data is limited when information remains fragmented across institutions, systems and formats. A connected data ecosystem can help enable the responsible use of this information for research, AI model development, analytics and improved patient care.
The NCG Data Bank aims to explore how data from across the NCG ecosystem can be brought together through common approaches to data standards, harmonization, governance, secure infrastructure and responsible data stewardship.
How Can you Contribute?
Bring Your Expertise. Shape the Conversation.
The NCG Data Bank will need perspectives from across the cancer ecosystem.
You can contribute through:
- Your Expertise: Share your experience in clinical care, research, data, technology, AI, informatics, governance or implementation.
- Your Existing Work: Share initiatives, datasets, technologies or programmes that could inform the NCG Data Bank.
- Your Ideas: Identify potential use cases where a connected data ecosystem could create meaningful impact.
- Your Perspective: Help shape approaches to governance, infrastructure, standards and implementation.
Technology Spotlight
Exploring Technology for Structured
Medical Imaging Data
MIDAS can be introduced as an example of the technologies and workflows that can support working with medical imaging data within a broader data ecosystem.
The uploaded documentation describes the use of the OHIF Viewer within MIDAS as a web-based environment for viewing, annotating and interacting with DICOM medical images.
What can participants see in MIDAS?
- View: Explore medical images directly in the browser.
- Annotate: Use tools such as freehand ROI, rectangle ROI, ellipse, arrows and measurements.
- Review: Support annotation review, comments and approval workflows.
- Export & Integrate: Annotations can be saved in formats such as DICOM Structured Reports/DICOM SEG and can also be exported as JSON for custom backend integration.
Framework Behind the Workshop
Learning from Existing Data Commons
The workshop draws on experience from Data for the Common Good (D4CG) and other data initiatives to explore how collaborative approaches to data can inform the development of the NCG Data Bank. The workshop materials identify D4CG as a collaborator in exploring a national cancer data common for India.
What can we learn from existing approaches?
- Data as a Common Resource: How data can support broader research and societal benefit.
- Governance & Trust: How access, stewardship, privacy and responsible use can be structured.
- Harmonization: How data from different institutions and systems can be brought into common structures.
- Infrastructure: How secure and scalable technology can support data sharing and collaboration.
- Research & Innovation: How connected data can enable research, AI and new approaches to cancer care.