• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

New

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

HealthDigital Health

IBM Workers to Use Watson Supercomputer to Find Cancer Treatments

By
Sy Mukherjee
Sy Mukherjee
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sy Mukherjee
Sy Mukherjee
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 11, 2016, 5:06 PM ET
Watson computer at IBM in New York City
NEW YORK CITY, NY- MAY 27: IBM Watson's computer housing case. IBM's Watson computer is best known for winning Jeopardy, unaware of time constraints, while playing against humans. Some of Watson's other features are based in problem solving across many different careers. A demonstration showed how quickly Watson is able to diagnose illnesses, and provided a real life case that took doctors and nurses six days to diagnose, and only ended with the correct diagnosis because a nurse had seen the disease before. Based on symptoms input, Watson was able to correctly diagnose in minutes. The demonstration took place at IBM Watson's New York City, New York office on May 27, 2015. (Photo by Andrew Spear for The Washington Post via Getty Images.)Andrew Spear—The Washington Post The Washington Post via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

IBM (IBM) says it is trying to make it a little easier for its American workers to find the best cancer treatments.

Beginning in January 2017, IBM employees in the U.S. will be able to use Watson supercomputer technology to help find the most effective oncology drugs and clinical trials for their specific cancers, IBM announced.

“For anyone receiving the diagnosis, or supporting a loved one through it, cancer can be overwhelming,” Kyu Rhee, MD, chief health officer, IBM Watson Health, said in the release, adding, “With this first-ever U.S. rollout of the technology, the full breadth and depth of Watson’s services can benefit an entire population of individuals who need them.”

It’s unclear just how much of IBM’s workforce will receive the benefits (the firm has 377,000 employees worldwide, although it doesn’t specify how many are in the U.S.) but the company says that many of the services will be covered by several of its American health plans.

IBM’s push into health care has been defined by its data-driven approach, especially when it comes to cancer. The company points to a simple resource allocation problem that’s hindered the most effective patient care: the fact that it is physically impossible for oncologists to keep track of every study, every clinical trial, and every breakthrough in the wildly stratified world of cancer research. Different cancers can mutate in different ways and be driven by a variety of genetic factors, and certain treatments will be more effective for some patients than for others.

Subscribe to Brainstorm Health Daily, our upcoming newsletter about health innovations.

So, IBM’s strategy is to use Watson, armed with its super-computing abilities and artificial intelligence, to help give doctors and scientists in the research process an informed “second opinion” by scouring the available data, as Rhee puts it.

The firm is already helping a variety of major cancer centers with its tech; the new worker benefit program will allow employees to consult with their doctors by giving them their medical history and getting their specific cancers genetically sequenced. After that, Watson will take assist by providing both physician and patient with a report that includes the most relevant drug trial and academic studies for their specific conditions.

Traditional pharma giants like Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Merck (MRK), and a compendium of newer biotechs have been treating cancer with an individualized approach since the disease can take so many forms. But there’s also been a simultaneous push by the Obama administration, as well as private business leaders like Sean Parker, for more data-sharing in biopharma, especially when it comes to developing cancer cures.

IBM’s Watson Health unit also has ambitious goals beyond oncology. The company announced a global partnership with Siemens (SIEGY) to track population health metrics earlier this week.

About the Author
By Sy Mukherjee
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Health

Fidji Simo had to leave OpenAI. But she’s still building a business that could find cures to chronic diseases that affect women like her
NewslettersMPW Daily
Fidji Simo had to leave OpenAI. But she’s still building a business that could find cures to chronic diseases that affect women like her
By Emma HinchliffeAugust 4, 2026
18 hours ago
Boostcamp App Review (2026): Trainer Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
Boostcamp App Review (2026): Trainer Approved
By Emily PharesAugust 4, 2026
19 hours ago
backpack
HealthEducation
Back-to-school shopping raises the new-age question: how heavy should your kids’ backpack be?
By Cheyanne Mumphrey and The Associated PressAugust 4, 2026
22 hours ago
Exclusive: Former OpenAI exec Fidji Simo discusses her battle with POTS and her startup’s plans to cure it with AI and 3,500 vials of blood (so far)
HealthOpenAI
Exclusive: Former OpenAI exec Fidji Simo discusses her battle with POTS and her startup’s plans to cure it with AI and 3,500 vials of blood (so far)
By Emily ForliniAugust 3, 2026
2 days ago
Best Hair Serums (2026): Tested and Reviewed
HealthDietary Supplements
Best Hair Serums (2026): Tested and Reviewed
By Emily PharesAugust 3, 2026
2 days ago
AstraZeneca said to have explored Bristol Myers merger
HealthPharmaceutical Industry
AstraZeneca said to have explored Bristol Myers merger
By Dinesh Nair, Michelle F. Davis, Ashleigh Furlong, Kelly Gilblom and BloombergAugust 2, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

How Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of 'ghost cars' instead
Personal Finance
How Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of 'ghost cars' instead
By Catherina GioinoAugust 4, 2026
1 day ago
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
North America
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
By Catherina GioinoAugust 2, 2026
3 days ago
Ray Dalio on the AI bubble nearing 1929, 2000 levels and the lesson people always forget: 'Wealth is not the same as money'
Investing
Ray Dalio on the AI bubble nearing 1929, 2000 levels and the lesson people always forget: 'Wealth is not the same as money'
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 4, 2026
1 day ago
Forget Gen Z: People in their 70s and 80s are some of the earliest Americans to welcome physical AI into their homes and daily routines
AI
Forget Gen Z: People in their 70s and 80s are some of the earliest Americans to welcome physical AI into their homes and daily routines
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezAugust 3, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of August 4, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of August 4, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerAugust 4, 2026
1 day ago
Scott Bessent is using moves from his hedge fund days to prop up Japan's yen—and America's $40 trillion national debt
Economy
Scott Bessent is using moves from his hedge fund days to prop up Japan's yen—and America's $40 trillion national debt
By Mia OsmonbekovAugust 4, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.