Outlook: Newsletter of the Society of Behavorial Medicine

Winter 2023

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Unlocking the Power of AI: Revolutionizing Cancer Education

Aldenise P. Ewing, PhD, MPH, Skylar McElwain, Dede Teteh, DrPH, Alexis W. Barr, PhD; Health Decision Making SIG

Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be a valuable tool for cancer education. AI is capable of providing information and support to individuals seeking to understand various aspects of cancer. 1 Here is a summary of how AI can be used for cancer education:

  1. Information Resource: AI can offer detailed information about different types of cancer, their causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. It can provide accurate and up-to-date information to help individuals better understand the disease.2, 3
  2. Awareness and Prevention: AI can raise awareness about cancer prevention strategies, such as lifestyle changes, early detection methods, and vaccinations (e.g., HPV vaccine).4-6 It can also offer advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle to reduce cancer risk.
  3. Personalized Guidance: AI can answer specific questions related to an individual's cancer concerns, family history, or symptoms.7 It can provide personalized recommendations and information tailored to a user's needs.
  4. Emotional Support: Coping with a cancer diagnosis can be emotionally challenging. AI can offer emotional support and provide resources for managing stress, anxiety, and depression that often accompany a cancer diagnosis.
  5. Clinical Trials and Research: AI can inform users about ongoing clinical trials, the latest advancements in cancer treatment, and emerging research in the field. It can also guide individuals in finding relevant studies or trials.
  6. Diet and Nutrition: The AI model can provide guidance on general healthy dietary choices for all adults with the potential for tailored information for cancer prevention. 8, 9
  7. Community Building: AI can connect users with cancer support groups, online communities, and organizations dedicated to cancer awareness and support, fostering a sense of belonging and shared experiences.
  8. Language Accessibility: AI can be used in multiple languages, making cancer education accessible to a global audience, and transcending language barriers. 10
  9. Healthcare Professional Assistance: It can assist healthcare professionals by providing them with quick access to updated information, treatment guidelines, and research findings to aid in patient care.2, 3

In summary, AI may serve as a versatile and relatively accessible resource for cancer education, providing information, support, and guidance to patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to understand, prevent, and manage cancer effectively—with oversight by licensed or trained health professionals.

Questions that remain to be answered: How will we adopt AI into our health education dissemination practices? How do we ensure credibility of information? Will AI be open access? Will AI be cost efficient for all communities?11 But most importantly, how can AI help us achieve equitable goals in cancer-related education for our most vulnerable communities?

We used AI to educate you on its utility as a cancer education tool.

This article (i.e., the list) was drafted using AI and the authors reviewed and verified recommendations and added references to support verified research findings to date. Overall, AI demonstrated acceptable results that could supplement general cancer education needs. However, we propose that AI developers immediately consider ways to leverage existing resources including publications from the US National Library of Medicine and expertise through partnerships with National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers.

Follow us on “X” formerly Twitter to continue the conversation:

  • Aldenise P. Ewing, PhD, MPH: @DrAldeniseEwing
  • Skylar McElwain: @SkyMcElwain
  • Dede Teteh, DrPH: @DrTeteh
  • Alexis W. Barr, PhD: @AlexisWoodsBarr

References

  1. Görtz M, Baumgärtner K, Schmid T, Muschko M, Woessner P, Gerlach A, Byczkowski M, Sültmann H, Duensing S, Hohenfellner M. An artificial intelligence-based chatbot for prostate cancer education: Design and patient evaluation study. DIGITAL HEALTH. 2023;9:20552076231173304. doi: 10.1177/20552076231173304.
  2. Haver HL, Ambinder EB, Bahl M, Oluyemi ET, Jeudy J, Yi PH. Appropriateness of Breast Cancer Prevention and Screening Recommendations Provided by ChatGPT. Radiology. 2023;307(4):e230424. doi: 10.1148/radiol.230424. PubMed PMID: 37014239.
  3. Erwin L. ChatGPT and generative AI chatbots: challenges and opportunities for science, medicine and medical leaders. BMJ Leader. 2023:leader-2023-000797. doi: 10.1136/leader-2023-000797.
  4. Dlamini Z, Skepu A, Kim N, Mkhabele M, Khanyile R, Molefi T, Mbatha S, Setlai B, Mulaudzi T, Mabongo M, Bida M, Kgoebane-Maseko M, Mathabe K, Lockhat Z, Kgokolo M, Chauke-Malinga N, Ramagaga S, Hull R. AI and precision oncology in clinical cancer genomics: From prevention to targeted cancer therapies-an outcomes based patient care. Informatics in Medicine Unlocked. 2022;31:100965. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imu.2022.100965.
  5. Leatherdale ST, Lee J. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cancer prevention: the potential application of AI in cancer control programming needs to be explored in population laboratories such as COMPASS. Cancer Causes & Control. 2019;30(7):671-5. doi: 10.1007/s10552-019-01182-2.
  6. Hegde S, Ajila V, Zhu W, Zeng C. Artificial intelligence in early diagnosis and prevention of oral cancer. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2022;9(12):100133. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjon.2022.100133.
  7. Johnson SB, King AJ, Warner EL, Aneja S, Kann BH, Bylund CL. Using ChatGPT to evaluate cancer myths and misconceptions: artificial intelligence and cancer information. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2023;7(2). doi: 10.1093/jncics/pkad015. PubMed PMID: 36929393; PMCID: PMC10020140.
  8. Limketkai BN, Mauldin K, Manitius N, Jalilian L, Salonen BR. The Age of Artificial Intelligence: Use of Digital Technology in Clinical Nutrition. Current Surgery Reports. 2021;9(7):20. doi: 10.1007/s40137-021-00297-3.
  9. de Moraes Lopes MHB, Ferreira DD, Ferreira ACBH, da Silva GR, Caetano AS, Braz VN. Chapter 20 - Use of artificial intelligence in precision nutrition and fitness. In: Barh D, editor. Artificial Intelligence in Precision Health: Academic Press; 2020. p. 465-96.
  10. Lee TK. Artificial intelligence and posthumanist translation: ChatGPT versus the translator. Applied Linguistics Review. 2023. doi: doi:10.1515/applirev-2023-0122.
  11. Rao HB, Sastry NB, Venu RP, Pattanayak P. The role of artificial intelligence based systems for cost optimization in colorectal cancer prevention programs. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. 2022;5. doi: 10.3389/frai.2022.955399.