 Furst has devoted a good portion of his writing and thinking to the question of why cancer mortality rates have not improved in the U.S., despite the billions of dollars spent each year on research, treatment and the search for a cure.Though not formally trained in oncology or biology, Furst is well-respected in the cancer research community and been invited to participate in cancer conferences and gatherings at the Santa Fe Institute, Van Andel Institute, UCSF Medical Center, Summit Series and X Prize Foundation.Furst began playing poker in middle school and started a home poker game while at Stanford that continues to this day.