AI can predict pancreatic cancer three years before it occurs, major Harvard study finds

A breakthrough AI model can determine a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer with staggering accuracy, research suggests.

Using medical records and information from previous scans, the AI was able to flag patients at a high risk of developing pancreatic cancer within the next three years with great accuracy.

There are currently no full-proof scans for pancreatic cancer, with doctors using a combination of CT scans, MRIs and other invasive procedures to diagnose it. This keeps many doctors away from recommending these screenings.

Over time, they also hope these AI models will help them develop a reliable way to screen for pancreatic cancer — which already exists for other types of the diseases.

"One of the most important decisions clinicians face day to day is who is at high risk for a disease, and who would benefit from further testing, which can also mean more invasive and more expensive procedures that carry their own risks," Dr Chris Sander, a biologist at Harvard who contributed to the study, said. 

"An AI tool that can zero in on those at highest risk for pancreatic cancer who stand to benefit most from further tests could go a long way toward improving clinical decision-making."

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Source: Mail Online, 9 May 2023