(Meagan Gill/ CTV News) — A team of researchers out of the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer has developed an artificial intelligence tool to better predict a cancer patient’s survival rate by reading their doctor’s notes.
In a news release Thursday, UBC said this new model helps predict survival rates “more accurately” and with “more readily available data” than previous tools.
“Predicting cancer survival is an important factor that can be used to improve cancer care,” said lead author Dr. John-Jose Nunez in the release.
Nunez, a psychiatrist and clinical research fellow at the UBC Mood Disorders Centre and BC Cancer, said the AI could suggest an earlier referral for support services or a more aggressive treatment plan.
“Our hope is that a tool like this could be used to personalize and optimize the care a patient receives right away,” Nunez said, adding that it could help give patients the best outcome possible. (…)