How Does a Mathematician (Try to) Outsmart Cancer?

Alice and Bob are both 62, and both have stage IV aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). They were even diagnosed by the same oncologist. So should Alice and Bob receive the same treatment? If we cure Alice, will the same treatment also cure Bob? Unfortunately, not necessarily.

"Personalized medicine" is a buzzword in cancer research. Being able to tailor cancer treatments to individual patients is a holy grail in oncology, and we have already come far in the right direction in search of it. But we can still do better. This talk will discuss approaches to personalizing cancer treatments and why this is necessary, and explain how a mathematician fits into this puzzle.