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AI could predict pancreatic cancer early in some cases, study shows

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June 17, 2023 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
A CT scan of a person's abdomen. (iStock)

Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest five-year survival rates of any cancer, in part because late diagnosis is common. Could artificial intelligence change that?

Research published in Nature Medicine in May suggests that AI screening of large groups of patients could make earlier diagnosis possible, which in turn could lead to earlier and more effective treatment of the disease. In the analysis, an AI tool successfully pinpointed people at elevated risk for pancreatic cancer by looking back at their medical records, finding evidence of heightened risk up to three years before they were diagnosed.