Artificial intelligence (AI) holds promise to transform cancer research and treatment. Here, Curious Dr. George asks our very own Director of Technology, Michael Kramer, about the powerful role Cancer Commons can play in shaping the future of AI in oncology. Having lost his son, Theo, to a rare form of brain cancer—Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)—Kramer is deeply committed to helping others facing similar struggles.
Curious Dr. George: Although neither a physician nor scientist, you are a skilled critical observer with a focus on understanding, analysis, presentation, and clarity. You recently attended the large and influential Precision Medicine World Conference (PMWC), representing Cancer Commons and as an advocate for people facing DIPG. What was your reaction to PMWC 2025, in particular the emphasis on AI?
Michael Kramer: This year’s PMWC in Silicon Valley was a tremendous experience. It was my first time attending the conference—and I couldn’t have picked a better year. The energy was palpable. Jensen Huang, founder of NVIDIA and arguably the “Steve Jobs of the AI computing era,” gave the keynote address. His presence was symbolic: a torch has been lit. AI is no longer on the horizon. It’s here.
But if this moment sparked hope, it also exposed the deep fissures between promise and practice. I came away inspired—but also sobered. Healthcare, especially oncology, stands at a crossroads. And while AI might help us move faster, more accurately, and more personally, it will only thrive if we raise it with care—giving it the values, structure, and support systems it needs to grow into something truly beneficial.
As someone who came to this work not as a scientist or physician, but as a grieving father and a systems thinker, I’ve seen this story before—in another domain. I spent nearly two decades in the arts as a film and television composer, often building new technology to help me tell stories through music. I once believed that creativity—the essence of our humanity—would be the last frontier for AI. Surely art was safe.
I was wrong.
AI came for art first. Not because it understood the soul of the artist, but because it could mimic the product. Because in the commercial world, humanity is often less valued than efficiency. And now, healthcare is staring down the same paradox: how do we use a dehumanizing technology to become more human?
Four Key Lessons from PMWC 2025
Over the course of three days, one truth echoed across panels and disciplines: most of medicine is not ready for AI. But that’s not a reason to be cynical—it’s an invitation to get it right. And Cancer Commons is uniquely positioned to do just that.
Here are four critical insights from the conference:
1. Patient-Centric, Multimodal, Real-Time = the Future
From real-time clinical trial matching tools to AI systems that synthesize genomics, imaging, and electronic health record (EHR) data on the fly, the trend is clear: the patient must be at the center. Not data. Not the institution. Not even the technology.
Cancer Commons has always operated from this premise. We don’t provide direct care, but we educate and empower patients, families, and even the clinicians working tirelessly on their behalf. We listen, adapt, and act in real time, curating information and matching people with possibilities. In this sense, AI isn’t a disruption to our model—it’s a powerful ally. We’re modeling how to build the kind of responsive, patient-informed approach that will define the next era of medicine.
2. A Tale of Two Cultures: Big Data vs N=1
Precision medicine lives in a paradox. On one side, multi-million-dollar AI models trained on millions of data points. On the other, a child with DIPG brain cancer—a disease so rare it is invisible to those very datasets.
Most AI systems don’t know what to do with outliers. But Cancer Commons was built for outliers. Our strength lies in combining AI with “HI”—human intelligence: expert curation, personalized insight, and support for patients when the standard of care has failed them. Our small size is not a weakness; it’s a strategic advantage in a world where N=1 matters more than ever.
3. Hope Through Shared Intelligence
One of the most exciting threads at PMWC was the emergence of federated learning, synthetic data, and collaborative AI training. Again and again, we heard: no one has enough data and resources alone. Collaboration isn’t just nice—it’s necessary.
And yet, large institutions often find themselves paralyzed by competition, legal silos, and outdated business models. Cancer Commons can move nimbly where others can’t. We’re small. Agnostic. Mission-driven. And we’re building partnerships—like our collaboration with xCures—that can help overcome one of the field’s greatest obstacles: the inability to share.
4. Living on the Edge: Redefining Risk in a System That Plays It Safe
Many of the people who come to Cancer Commons are already living on the edge—medically, emotionally, and existentially. They’re facing advanced cancers, rare diagnoses, or systemic barriers that have pushed them beyond the reach of standard care. For them, risk isn’t hypothetical—it’s part of daily life.
And yet, many medical institutions are built to avoid risk, not engage with it. I saw this firsthand during my son Theo’s treatment. One day in the hospital, I found myself in a tense exchange with an anesthesiologist who hesitated to proceed because Theo had a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. For them, it meant “don’t engage.” For us, it meant “don’t prolong suffering”—but we were still fighting, still seeking options that balanced quality and time. Hope and realism were never in conflict. They lived side by side.
This willingness to act within uncertainty is something our clients understand deeply. It also shapes how we think about innovation.
At PMWC, Andrew Rister from Verily offered a striking metaphor: when cars first appeared, they had to share roads with horses. It was chaotic and risky, but over time, new rules emerged. The system adapted. That early turbulence wasn’t failure—it was transformation.
The same is true now. Where others see emerging technologies like AI as too risky, our unique clientele not only affords us that risk—it compels us to take it. Not carelessly, but with urgency, integrity, and care.
AI can help us act wisely in the face of uncertainty, if we’re brave enough to guide it there.
Where We Fit In
If AI is still in its infancy, Cancer Commons is uniquely positioned to raise it with care, intention, and purpose. Consider this:
- Most large institutions are not nimble enough to adopt AI. We’re small and adaptive.
- Competition prevents data sharing. We can be a neutral, open-source bridge.
- Most AI models are trained on flawed or inconsistent data. Our hand-curated patient data is small but clean.
- Protected Health Information (PHI) regulations prevent data flow. Our collaboration with partners like xCures may become a bedrock solution.
- And most importantly: our patients don’t have time to wait. My son Theo didn’t either.
For me, this isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.
When Theo was diagnosed with DIPG, we didn’t have five years to wait for perfect systems or large-scale trials. We needed real help, real insight, real options—now. That urgency is still with me. It’s why I believe Cancer Commons is not just a nonprofit—it’s a blueprint for how we all might one day learn enough to truly outsmart cancer.
What Kind of Parents Will We Be?
AI has arrived, kicking and screaming. Like any powerful new force, it’s immature, chaotic, and full of promise. The question now isn’t just how we use it—but how we raise it.
We can neglect it—feed it biased data, isolate it in silos, train it on systems we already know are broken.
Or we can nurture it—guide it with ethics, context, humility, and care. Show it the best of humanity, not just the most efficient. Teach it, like a child, how to grow into wisdom—not just intelligence.
Because at the end of the day, AI will reflect us. And if we’re brave, patient, and generous enough, it might even help us become something better than we were.
Mr. Kramer can be reached at michael.kramer@cancercommons.org.
Related links:
- Cancer Commons: Breaking Barriers in Cancer Care
- The Personalized Power of the “N-of-1” Approach
- Cancer Commons’ Services for Patients and Caregivers
A message from Curious Dr. George:
The goal of Cancer Commons is to help patients identify and access their best possible treatments, one patient at a time, while moving the field forward. If you have advanced cancer, let our molecular oncology scientists provide personalized information about your options.
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