In 1997, the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP), created by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is a multi-year project to assemble the first index of genes involved in cancer, was launched.

The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project was initiated with the broad goal of determining the comprehensive molecular characterization of normal, premalignant, and malignant tumor cells, thus making a reality the identification of all major cellular mechanisms leading to tumor initiation and progression