Genomics researcher and former cancer data scientist , Shirley Pepke , and Greg Ver Steeg with his Correlation Explanation machine learning algorithm ( which extracts hidden patterns in large , high - dimensional data sets ) may have helped drive Pepke 's ovarian cancer into remission . Based on the CorEx algorithm and data relating to her own tumour , she opted for an as - yet - unapproved immunotherapy drug over a second - in - a - row round of chemo , which may have contributed to the remission of her cancer , as " the cancer progression was very consistent with an immunotherapy - like response " , she said . Instead, she chose an immunotherapy drug not yet approved for ovarian cancer. Pepke and Ver Steeg are working to confirm the results in a larger population of patients .
Genomics researcher and former cancer data scientist , Shirley Pepke , and Greg Ver Steeg with his Correlation Explanation machine learning algorithm ( which extracts hidden patterns in large , high - dimensional data sets ) may have helped drive Pepke 's ovarian cancer into remission . Based on the CorEx algorithm and data relating to her own tumour , she opted for an as - yet - unapproved immunotherapy drug over a second - in - a - row round of chemo , which may have contributed to the remission of her cancer , as " the cancer progression was very consistent with an immunotherapy - like response " , she said . Pepke and Ver Steeg are working to confirm the results in a larger population of patients .