Big data is a buzzword in many industries, and has the ability to make a big impact in oncology

Harnessing the power of big data can help in the fight against cancer. Technology is infiltrating most industries.

When we look at healthcare, particularly cancer care, it relies on technological developments.

Healthcare data though, is often missed, but it is crucial.

Data gives us important information, capturing critical insights.

Creating a big data strategy could be the key to helping cancer researchers leverage and pinpoint information.

It would supply them with high-quality and high-variety details, not harnessed before.

“Harnessing big data with artificial intelligence will mean we can treat and diagnose patients earlier,” CEO of Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, Lance Kawaguchi says.

“This can help to make health equitable.”

Kawaguchi adds this could be monumental for cancer research.

“In my mind, it could be a game-changer.

“Imagine someone in the Amazon – or in a far-off region or territory – being able to use their iPhone to assess things for a biopsy, to get information.

“We need support from government, going both ways, to share information.”

“Harnessing big data with artificial intelligence will mean we can treat and diagnose patients earlier.”

Lance Kawaguchi, Ceo, cure brain cancer foundation

Dr Ludmil Alexandrov, an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at University of California San Diego argues there is a push by agencies to help with getting more data from lower-income families, to help with understanding the information gathered.

“The majority of data that is being generated from high-income individuals,” Alexandrov revealed. “We don’t see big data coming from low-economic individuals.”

“We want big data, and we don’t want bad quality data.

“We want to have easy-to-use approaches, such as cell phones, that can collect, analyse and help data decisions be made in real-time.”

The CEO of Cure Brain Cancer Foundation succinctly put the message: “the faster we can feed the big data machine and let it do its thing – to make sure we can level the playing field for everyone – the quicker we can diagnose and find a cure.”