Cancer cures could be within reach of cutting-edge medical technology, doctor predicts
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Artificial intelligence is entering the fight against cancer, and according to News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, it could be a game-changer.
On Monday’s episode of “News & Friends,” Siegel said AI is already transforming the way doctors detect and treat cancer, and could lead to real cures within the next decade.
“I think in five to 10 years we’ll start to see a lot of cures,” Siegel said, calling this moment in medical science “great news.”
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“Artificial intelligence works in two ways against cancer,” Siegel said. “First of all, it helps diagnose it before it even turns into cancer.”
He pointed to a Harvard artificial intelligence program called Sybil, which analyzes lung scans to identify areas that could later develop into cancer long before a radiologist could see them.
According to Dr. Marc Siegel (not pictured), AI is already being used in more ways than one to fight cancer. (iStock)
“If the AI finds the parts of the lungs that are problematic, then radiologists can follow up and see that that problem spot is getting worse,” the doctor said.
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The technology doesn’t stop there. Siegel also described how AI is also helping scientists tailor treatments to the individual, identifying “drug targets in the cancer molecule itself, which varies from one cancer patient to another.”
By matching the right drug to the right patient, AI could help deliver personalized therapies that dramatically improve survival rates, he added.
Experts predict that AI could be used to help cure cancer within a decade. (iStock)
“The AI will tell you that this drug will work for this person and not that person,” Siegel predicted. “That will allow us to cure many different types of cancer in the next five to 10 years.”
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Previous research has explored the potential of AI to detect cancers at earlier stages. News’ Ainsley Earhardt referenced recent reports on breast cancer screening, where AI can detect subtle irregularities that doctors might miss.
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Siegel agreed, saying, “Using AI in conjunction with a great radiologist” can help find cancer “before it becomes cancer.”
Siegel said in the segment that belief and faith in themselves can also be healing, referencing his new book, “Miracles Among Us.” (iStock)
While much of the conversation focused on science, Siegel also talked about faith and hope, two central themes of his new book, “Miracles Among Us.”
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He told Earhardt that belief in itself can be healing.
“If you communicate with people around you who have faith and understand that God is a stronger force… you can have less depression, less anxiety,” he said.
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Citing Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Siegel added that medicine and faith can work together.
“Doctors are the hands of God,” he said. “They will work together with God to perform miracles that are almost impossible.”
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant at News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of topics including food and drink, travel and health.