Potential Role of Machine Learning in Oncology

Machine learning (ML) is the ability of computers to learn from data autonomously. It is a core branch of artificial intelligence (AI), which is defined as the ability of a machine to replicate the intellectual processes of humans independently. The evolution of the microprocessor for home computers resulted in increased computing speed, efficient data collection, storage, and retrieval capacity. Thus AI techniques have evolved, which led to the discovery of artificial neural networks which are computer modeling algorithms mimicking the human brain. AI has developed to an extent that it can exceed the human brain in board games such as chess, television games, image recognition, and spam e-mail filtering. In addition to engineering, arts, and finance, extensive progress has been made to integrate ML in the field of medicine, especially oncology.