The healthcare industry is looking to improve cancer detection with help from AI
FOX Business’ Geri Willis and ‘The Big Money Show’ panel discuss the use of artificial intelligence in the medical field and people flocking to technology for health information.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the healthcare industry, and many Americans are turning to AI tools for medical guidance.
OpenAI says that nearly 40 million users worldwide now use ChatGPT daily for health-related questions. The company recently launched ChatGPT Health, a feature that allows users to analyze the results of medical tests, prepare appointments with doctors and seek general guidance.
Rival company Anthropic also launched Claude for Healthcare, designed to support clinical workflow and patient education.
Hospitals and health systems are increasingly partnering with large AI companies to improve diagnostics and more. (Joe Skipper/Reuters)
Hospitals and health systems are increasingly partnering with major AI companies to improve diagnoses, simplify operations and increase access to medical information.
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is one of OpenAI’s healthcare partners, along with other major US hospital systems. MSK Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Anaeze Offodile II told FOX Business that the hospital is exploring how AI can be used responsibly across research, patient education and administrative functions.
“Over the next year, we will identify where these tools can add value, evaluate them carefully and work to grow them accordingly,” said Offodile. “Our mission is to ensure that this technology is safe, ethical and truly beneficial to patients.”
He added that the healthcare industry is already moving beyond the pre-ChatGPT era.
“I don’t think we can go back to the world before manufacturing AI,” Offodile said. “The important question now is how do we make sure it’s used properly.”
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City is one of OpenAI’s healthcare partners. (Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A recent industry survey shows nearly one-third of US health systems are now paying for commercial AI licenses as adoption increases.
Another area where the technology is already showing promise is the detection of skin cancer.
At MSK’s Dermatology Lab, researchers are testing AI tools that analyze medical images and patient data to identify suspicious lesions and flag high-risk populations.
“I think AI is going to change the game for skin cancer detection in particular,” said Dr. Veronica Rotemberg, director of the dermatology informatics program at MSK. “The most important thing right now is to test these technologies in real clinical settings to understand how effective they really are.”
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One of the devices being tested is a 360-degree full-body imaging system that uses 92 cameras to capture detailed images of a patient’s skin. The goal is to use AI to automatically detect new or changing lesions over time, a process currently performed manually by doctors.
Another technology, reflection confocal microscopy, allows doctors to see beneath the skin. A high-powered light microscope can detect melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, with about 80% accuracy. An estimated 112,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
OpenAI says that nearly 40 million users worldwide now use ChatGPT daily for health-related questions. (Photos by Idrees Abbas/SOPA/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“As dermatologists, our goal is to find all skin cancers while minimizing unnecessary biopsies,” Rotemberg said. “That’s a delicate balance. These tools help improve what we call specificity, to diagnose cancer more accurately while avoiding unnecessary procedures for patients.”
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Doctors are also experimenting with an AI-powered dermatoscope that attaches to a smartphone camera, providing a quick test that could expand testing in both clinical and remote settings.
Still, experts stress that these tools are meant to support — not replace — doctors.
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“This technology still needs clinical judgment,” Rotemberg said. “They don’t take qualified medical professionals.”
Doctors also caution that consumer AI health apps can be disruptive and should not replace professional medical evaluations.
As AI continues to grow throughout healthcare, doctors say maintaining the doctor-patient relationship remains important.
