AI technology streamlines cancer treatment

Shanghai Cancer Center has teamed up with Tencent to establish an artificial intelligence-based big data laboratory to achieve more precise medicine, better selection of patients for new drug trials and more streamlined processes. 

With AI technology, the hospital wanted to create a better clinical research and treatment platform, improve medical record management, allow early screening for people at high risk for cancer, set up more precise reservations with the appropriate experts, and improve follow-up management for discharged patients.

“With this technology, we can select patients for specific experts and find appropriate patients for new drug trials,”said Wang Yi, director of Shanghai Cancer Center’s information center.

The system can compare patients’ medical records and conditions with the specialities of different experts to help reach a match to improve medical efficiency. The hospital has tried the technology in the department of head and neck surgery since March last year and received good results. So far, almost all departments have begun to use the system.

“Many patients who come to my clinic don’t need surgery or their condition was outside my speciality, so the AI system requires patients to upload detailed information and looks for key words, in order to avoid mismatching,” said Dr Wu Jiong, a surgeon for breast cancer at Shanghai Cancer Center.

In addition, the AI system can give consultations to patients on medical processes and drug use to improve efficiency and enhance their self-management ability.