Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a valuable tool in India's fight against cancer, moving beyond research labs into real-world clinical practice. Researchers and healthcare providers are using AI to improve early cancer detection, personalize treatment, and help doctors manage increasingly complex cases. Instead of viewing cancer as a disease driven by a single mutation, scientists such as Debarka Sengupta, Associate Dean of Innovation, Research and Development at IIIT-Delhi, are combining AI with genomics to understand cancer as a complex biological system and uncover patterns that would be difficult for humans to detect.
One of AI's most significant contributions is in cancer screening and diagnosis. Machine learning models are being trained to analyze radiology and pathology images, helping identify subtle signs of tumors in MRIs, CT scans, and mammograms with greater accuracy. AI is also being used to analyze genomic and transcriptomic data, enabling doctors to identify personalized molecular signatures that support targeted therapies and immunotherapy. Sengupta's team has also developed an 11-gene blood test based on platelet RNA that could become an affordable screening tool for multiple cancers using RT-qPCR machines already common across India.
Beyond diagnosis, AI is helping optimize cancer treatment. Intelligent systems can predict how individual tumors are likely to respond to different therapies, allowing clinicians to move away from a trial-and-error approach toward more personalized treatment plans. In radiation oncology, AI assists in accurately outlining tumors and creating adaptive treatment plans that adjust to changes in a patient's anatomy during therapy. AI is also streamlining clinical trials by improving patient recruitment, trial design, and data analysis, potentially accelerating the development of new cancer treatments.
Despite these advances, experts emphasize that AI is a clinical decision-support tool rather than a replacement for doctors. Challenges such as data privacy, algorithm bias, explainability, and equitable access must be addressed before AI can be widely adopted across India's healthcare system. With continued validation through clinical studies and responsible implementation, AI has the potential to transform cancer care by enabling earlier diagnosis, more personalized treatments, and better outcomes for patients across the country.
