Can AI help patients fight cancer without biopsies? Doctors debate

BENGALURU: Artificial Intelligence is poised to revolutionize cancer care. But how do patients benefit from it?
People often tend to ignore lumps and swellings because of the fear of biopsies. AI can help patients avoid biopsies since it helps diagnose cancer without poking the needle, that too with around 97% accuracy, experts said
“Right now, if you have cancer, you need to do a biopsy.You need to take a piece of that tissue and get it analyzed. AI will help us treat cancer without biopsy,” said Dr Mohan Keshavamurthy , senior director (urology), Uro Oncology and Uro Gynaecology at Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru. AI-based modules can be used to find out what is the optimum treatment for a patient. “What is good for one person may not be so for another. AI can recommend individualized treatment plans, and it comes at no additional cost to the patient,” he added.
Cancer treatment can be very complex. The road to recovery can sometimes be long and tedious and may include a wide range of therapies. AI can be used to streamline patient pathways right from diagnosis till the very end. “For instance, if somebody wants to undergo multiple cycles of chemotherapy, AI can be of help in scheduling the cycles and in ordering the drug with the right dose. At any point in time, patients can look at where they are in the pathway and how far they have to go,” said Dr Vijay Agarwal, lead and senior consultant (medical oncology), Apollo Cancer Centre, Bengaluru. “We are collecting data of radiology reports across the country which will further be used in AI-based platforms. It can help in studies on cancers specific to the Indian population and in drug development,” said Dr BS Ajaikumar, executive chairman of HCG Cancer Centre.