# Key Points from Cancer Genomics and Biotechnology Discussion

• Researchers debated the value of extensive cancer genome sequencing, with critics calling it "epistemically bankrupt charlatanry" despite billions invested, while proponents argued for its value despite current cost barriers and the need for approximately 14,000 patients per cancer type to achieve 1% confidence.

• The computational requirements for cancer genomics are staggering—sequencing tumors every two weeks would generate 495 exabytes of data annually, requiring storage equivalent to "6 football fields 10 stories high" and computing power comparable to a nuclear power station.

• Cancer's heterogeneity presents significant challenges for genomic analysis, with researchers noting that even samples from different sides of the same tumor yield different sequencing results, and that pre-cancer sequencing and cell-free DNA detection are important for comprehensive analysis.

• A promising research direction was shared regarding thymus regeneration using a single transcription factor, potentially significant for immune system rejuvenation (http://dev.biologists.org/content/141/8/1627.full).

• Microsoft has developed several genomics tools including github/amplab/snap, github/bigdatagenomics, fastlmm.codeplex.com, and literome.azurewebsites.net, introducing "Literomics" as a new approach to literature analysis in genomics.

• Following regulatory restrictions, 23andMe pivoted from providing medical risk factors to focusing primarily on heredity information, though questions remain about their business viability after these limitations.