IBM's Watson may provide a shortcut to treating cancer - CNET

Here's a question IBM supercomputer Watson never got to answer on "Jeopardy": What is a cure for cancer?

Watson, which is best known for beating champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on the long-running game show, will get its chance as it aids scientists using genomic analysis to figure out the cause of and potential cure for different strains of cancer. IBM unveiled Watson for Genomics, specifically designed for this task, at the National Cancer Moonshot Summit on Wednesday.

The addition of Watson's brain power, which can understand questions in natural language and not just the computer language of ones and zeros, could significantly accelerate cancer treatment. Typically, finding the appropriate treatment for a specific patient means sequencing his or her genome, finding mutations and then getting a team of seasoned doctors in a room to decide the best options. Watson can do it in less than three minutes.

This is the latest in a series of deals IBM has made to use Watson to solve health care issues, as well as help out other industries like fashion. The software company provided Alder Hey Children's Hospital with the supercomputer to help improve patient care. Watson also worked with CVS Health to predict health problems a person might experience and give them advice. It even helped create a dress adoed with LED lights for the Met Gala that lit up in response to the mood on social media surrounding the event.

Watson for Genomics will take on the data-intensive task of searching through sequenced DNA of patients from the Veterans Affairs Department, finding mutations and scanning medical literature to pinpoint the therapeutic treatments that would work best. The program promises to identify customized regimens for 10,000 US veterans during the next two years -- that's almost 30 times more patients that would receive appropriate treatment than if the team did not use Watson.