As the neoantigens only exist in tumors and are unique to each person, they're ideal for immunotherapy. You don't have to worry that you'll accidentally attack healthy cells, and you can personalize treatments instead of hoping that a one-size-fits-all approach will work.

While there's talk of developing a cancer vaccine, there's no guarantee that you'll get this Holy Grail. The Parker Institute's Ramy Ibrahim bills this as "an important first step" rather than a solution. If algorithms prove successful, though, they'll show that software can be useful for fighting cancer before it's a problem, not just after it takes hold.