ICGC Publication Guidelines

Members of the ICGC are committed to the principles of rapid data release. However, like other large-scale genomic projects, members do not consider the deposition of its data into its own or public databases to be the equivalent of publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Therefore, although the data are available to others, the members still consider them to be formally unpublished.

The members of the ICGC have adopted data release policies that will accelerate the dissemination of datasets through rapid data releases that will precede publication of the global analyses of ICGC member datasets, anticipating the data will be useful for many investigators. The Consortium anticipates that the Project's data will be used in many ways, such as in developing new analytical methods, in understanding patterns of somatic mutations, and in guiding selection of mutations, genes, and other targets that will be used to develop biomarkers for cancer detection, diagnosis and prognosis, and new therapeutic interventions. Thus, the Consortium recognizes that the data are available to many users for a variety of purposes.

For more information on ICGC's Publication Policy, please see Section E3 of the Consortium Policies and Guidelines.

Time limits for publication moratoriums

All data shall become free of a publication moratorium when either the data is published by the ICGC member project or one year after a specified quantity of data (e.g. genome dataset from 100 tumours per project) has been released via the ICGC database or other public databases. In all cases data shall be free of a publication moratorium two years after its initial release.

Legend

Scenario 1: 1 genome is submitted and made available on the ICGC portal, and two years later the moratorium period is finished.

Scenario 2: 100 genomes are submitted and made available on the ICGC portal, and one year later the moratorium period is finished.

Scenario 3: 1 genome is submitted and a few months later, a total of 100 genomes are made available on the ICGC portal, and one year later the moratorium period is finished.

Scenario 4: 1 genome is submitted and several months later, a total of 100 genomes are made available on the ICGC portal. When a total of two years from the time of the first genome is reached, then the moratorium period is finished.

Scenario 5: Any number of genomes are submitted and made available on the ICGC portal, and a paper about them is published by the submitting group, the moratorium period is finished.

The quantity of data on which the initial global analysis will be carried out will vary between tumour types but is likely to be data on 100 tumour samples for more common tumour types and fewer for rarer tumour types. Details of the status of a publication moratorium is specified for individual projects below:

Current Moratorium Status for ICGC projects

Project Key Country Project Name EMBARGO STATUS
MELA-AU Australia Skin Cancer - AU No Embargo. Data available without limitations
OV-AU Australia Ovarian Cancer - AU No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PACA-AU Australia Pancreatic Cancer - AU No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PAEN-AU Australia Pancreatic Cancer Endocrine neoplasms - AU No Embargo. Data available without limitations
SKCA-BR Brazil Skin Adenocarcinoma - BR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PACA-CA Canada Pancreatic Cancer - CA No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PRAD-CA Canada Prostate Adenocarcinoma - CA No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BLCA-CN China Bladder Urothelial carcinoma - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
COCA-CN China Colorectal Cancer - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
ESCA-CN China Esophageal Cancer - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
GACA-CN China Gastric Cancer - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LICA-CN China Liver Cancer - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LUSC-CN China Lung Squamous cell carcinoma - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
RECA-CN China Renal clear cell carcinoma - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
RECA-EU European Union/France Renal Cell Cancer - EU/FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BOCA-FR France Bone Cancer - Ewing Sarcoma - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LIAD-FR France Benign Liver Tumour - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LICA-FR France Liver Cancer - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LIHM-FR France Liver Hepatocellular Macronodules - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
EOPC-DE Germany Early Onset Prostate Cancer - DE No Embargo. Data available without limitations
MALY-DE Germany Malignant Lymphoma - DE No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PBCA-DE Germany Pediatric Brain Cancer - DE No Embargo. Data available without limitations
ORCA-IN India Oral Cancer - IN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PAEN-IT Italy Pancreatic Endocrine neoplasms - IT No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BTCA-JP Japan Biliary Tract Cancer - JP No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LINC-JP Japan Liver Cancer - NCC, JP No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LIRI-JP Japan Liver Cancer - RIKEN, JP No Embargo. Data available without limitations
THCA-SA Saudi Arabia Thyroid Cancer - SA No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LAML-KR South Korea Acute Myeloid Leukemia - KR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LUSC-KR South Korea Lung Cancer - Squamous cell carcinoma - KR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
CLLE-ES Spain Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - ES No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BOCA-UK United Kingdom Bone Cancer - UK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BRCA-UK United Kingdom Breast Triple Negative/Lobular Cancer - UK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
CMDI-UK United Kingdom Chronic Myeloid Disorders - UK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
ESAD-UK United Kingdom Esophageal Adenocarcinoma - UK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PRAD-UK United Kingdom Prostate Adenocarcinoma - UK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BRCA-EU European Union/United Kingdom Breast ER+ and HER2- Cancer - EU/UK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PEME-CA Canada Pediatric Medulloblastoma No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BRCA-FR France Breast Cancer - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LAML-CN China Leukemia - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BRCA-KR South Korea Breast Cancer - SK No Embargo. Data available without limitations
LMS-FR France Soft tissue cancer - Leiomyosarcoma - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PRAD-FR France Prostate Cancer - Adenocarcinoma - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
UTCA-FR France Uterine Cancer - Carcinosarcoma - FR No Embargo. Data available without limitations
NKTL-SG Singapore Blood Cancer - T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma - SG No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BTCA-SG Singapore Biliary Tract Cancer - SG No Embargo. Data available without limitations
GBM-CN China Brain Cancer - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
THCA-CN China Thyroid Cancer - CN No Embargo. Data available without limitations
NACA-CN China Nasopharyngeal cancer No Embargo. Data available without limitations
PRAD-CN China Prostate cancer No Embargo. Data available without limitations
GACA-JP Japan Gastric cancer No Embargo. Data available without limitations
BPLL-FR France B-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia No Embargo. Data available without limitations

For Moratorium status on TCGA projects, please visit https://www.cancer.gov/about-nci/organization/ccg/research/structural-genomics/tcga/using-tcga/citing-tcga

For Moratorium status on TARGET projects, please visit https://ocg.cancer.gov/programs/target/target-publication-guidelines

Data users should freely analyze pre-publication data and act responsibly in publishing analyses of those data in a manner that respects the terms described by the data producers. Data users are responsible for accurately citing the source of pre-publication data, including the version of the dataset. Data users are encouraged to contact the data producers to discuss publication plans in cases of uncertainty. For questions regarding moratorium status, please contact the DCC.