Provocative Questions
Due to recent technological advances in many fields, especially in genomics, molecular biology, and computational sciences, there has never been a better time for doing cancer research. We have made large leaps in our basic knowledge about cancers — especially about the genetic and biochemical mechanisms by which they arise. Now we have an opportunity to take a step back from the momentum of these discoveries and make sure we have left no stone unturned and no important but perhaps non-obvious question left unexplored. The new leaders at the NCI are eager to influence the state of cancer research by attempting to define more potentially game-changing scientific questions that could influence the directions taken by NCI-sponsored research in the future.