Frontiers in Precision Medicine II: Cancer, Big Data and the Public

Precision medicine is being developed today within a complex landscape of medicine, science, public policy, law, and ethics. In December 2016, the University of Utah School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute and S.J. Quinney College of Law held their second annual symposium on current issues in precision medicine. The focus of symposium was on cancer and how precision medicine can enlist “big data” to combat what has been termed “the emperor of all maladies” -- cancer. This two-day event convened national experts in genetics, medicine, bioinformatics, intellectual property, health communications and bioethics to discuss and debate many of the pressing questions raised by precision medicine as it relates to cancer research. The key arguments, conclusions and unresolved issues that emerged from the symposium are summarized in these proceedings.