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With pancreatic cancer, an AI tool shows positive results

AI is being used in innovative ways in health care. In this case, an AI app that can detect pancreatic cancer early has obtained "breakthrough device" status from the FDA.

2 min read

By Michael Domingo 01/14/26

Technology

Pancreatic cancer illustration

Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

Much of the AI news in recent months that we’ve covered in the AI Impact SmartBrief has been either about the job displacement, the AI bubble, harmfulness or something shiny and new. So, let’s talk about an AI use case that hits close to home.

First, I have to say this: Cancer sucks. Who agrees with me? I know you do. I don’t have cancer in my family history, but I know the full effects of it — I was very close to my sister-in-law who developed what seemed like an especially aggressive cancer in her pancreas, but that’s because it was detected much too late. This was 2007. I’ve personally known others who have passed away from it since then and dealt directly with the fallout.

Early detection of pancreatic cancer using AI sounds promising. Researchers at Alibaba’s Damo Academy since 2023 have been developing a tool called PANDA that can detect pancreatic cancer in non-contrast CT scans (press release here), which has been able to catch the disease early when symptoms are not yet present. The tool has already identified early-stage cases in a clinical trial at Ningbo University Hospital in China. However, there are concerns about false positives, as only a fraction of the alerts from the system required follow-up. Even so, early in 2025 the US Food and Drug Administration gave PANDA “breakthrough device” status to speed up approval.

Early detection of pancreatic cancer using AI is just one such story. I can’t point to the hundreds more examples of which AI is helping researchers make headway in making us live longer lives, but here are 5:

  • PopEVE AI model ID’s genetic triggers leading to specific diseases Link
  • Smart stethoscope detects heart conditions in less than a minute Link
  • 70K health centers in India to get an AI-powered Clinical Decision Support System Link
  • Delphi-2M trained to provide the health risks of more than a thousand disease Link
  • AI helped develop a drug to treat pulmonary fibrosis Link

It’s amazing what is being done with AI in health care, and we know there’s more to come.

What are some of the ways that hit close to home with you? Share your story with us by email or at this same post on LinkedIn.

And if you want to stay abreast of AI news and content, consider subscribing to AI Impact SmartBrief here! — Michael