AI in Oncology: From Diagnosis to Human Connection

I’ve been thinking a lot about how AI will transform oncology.

I think second opinions will take a hit. The diagnostic pattern-matching that defines the role today, reading scans, matching tumor profiles to treatments is exactly what AI will commoditize first.

As AI absorbs the cognitive load of diagnosis, the irreducibly human skills move to the center: reasoning through genuine uncertainty, sitting with a patient in a hard conversation, explaining trade-offs to a frightened family, making judgment calls where the data runs out.

We’ve spent decades training physicians to think like computers. Now we need them to think like humans again. We will need to become MORE HUMAN.

The doctors who thrive won’t be the ones who know the most. They’ll be the ones who can reason out loud, communicate clearly, and connect. The centers with the best supportive care and operations will win out.

Is medical education ready for that shift?

Sarah Sammons, MD, is Associate Director, Breast Cancer Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Disclaimer: This commentary represents the views of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of ASCO, Conexiant, or ASCO AI in Oncology.