According to the American Cancer Society, half of all men and one-third of all women in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes; approximately 1.5 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2013. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States and in the world, exceeded only by cardiovascular disease. This year, over 500,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer— more than 1,300 people a day—accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths. Cancer is a group of diseases generally characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the growth and/or spread is not controlled, it can result in death. Even though the exact reasons are not known, cancer is believed to be caused by both external factors (e.g., tobacco, infectious organisms, chemicals, and radiation) and internal factors (e.g., inherited mutations, hormones, immune conditions, and mutations that occur from metabolism). These causal factors may act together or in sequence to initiate or promote carcinogenesis. Cancer is treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy. Survival statistics vary greatly by cancer type and stage at diagnosis.

Questions for Discussion
1. How can data mining be used for ultimately curing illnesses like cancer?
2. What do you think are the promises and major challenges for data miners in contributing to medical and biological research endeavors?