The Collaborative Cancer Cloud aims to make precision medicine for cancer possible by 2020. Technology company Intel joined forces with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research to share and process large amounts of de-identified data about patients with cancer, including genetic, imaging and clinical data. Ultimately, the group wants to provide affordable, individualized treatments for patients within one day. 

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Tiny, implantable drones are on a mission to target and kill cancer cells inside the body. A Brigham and Women’s Hospital doctor created the rice-size drones to carry immunotherapy medicine and nanoparticles that amplify the effect of radiation. The drones are implanted into tumors and programmed to trigger the release of the medication on a specific schedule. Once the therapy is released, the drones biodegrade.

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Prevention coaches armed with an interactive, Web-based application are empowering patients in the clinic to create cancer prevention plans. Winner of a Patient Shark Tank competition at the Harvard Center for Primary Care’s Innovations Conference, the preventive care model makes it easy for patients to consult with a coach, develop a personalized prevention plan and schedule appointments for cancer screenings, such as a colonoscopy or mammography.