How AI and Precision Medicine Are Revolutionizing Oncology
- Brainz Magazine
- May 2
- 3 min read
Dr. Asha Martin is a medical oncologist and haematologist with over 10 years of experience. Based in St. Lucia with a special interest in breast, colon, prostate cancer, myeloma and anemias. Passionate about empowering patients with clear, practical health insights.
Cancer care is undergoing a seismic shift. Gone should be the days of one-size-fits-all chemotherapy and late-stage diagnoses. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine are transforming oncology, making detection earlier, treatments smarter, and monitoring less invasive. But with these advances come challenges: Will AI replace doctors? Can cutting-edge tech reach low-income countries? And how do we ensure patient privacy in an era of big data?
Let’s explore how AI and precision medicine are reshaping cancer care and what it means for patients worldwide.
1. AI in early detection: Catching cancer before it spreads
Imagine a world where cancer is detected before symptoms appear. AI is making this possible by analyzing medical images with superhuman accuracy.
Google DeepMind vs. Radiologists: A landmark 2020 study in Nature showed that Google’s AI system outperformed radiologists in detecting breast cancer from mammograms, reducing false positives by 5.7% and false negatives by 9.4%. This could mean thousands of lives saved through earlier intervention.
Pathology AI: Startups like PathAI use machine learning to analyze biopsy slides, spotting subtle patterns missed by the human eye. A 2021 study in The Lancet Digital Health found AI improved diagnostic accuracy in prostate cancer by 15%.
Why does this matter? In the Caribbean, where specialist radiologists and pathologists are scarce, AI-assisted screenings could be a game-changer, helping detect cancers earlier when they’re most treatable.
2. Precision oncology: The end of the chemo lottery
For decades, cancer treatment was based on pre-established and somewhat rigid chemotherapy regimens. Now, genomic profiling lets us target tumors based on their DNA.
The rise of targeted therapies: Drugs like Herceptin (for HER2+ breast cancer) and Keytruda (for tumors with high microsatellite instability) only work if a patient’s cancer has specific mutations. A 2022 JAMA Oncology study found that molecularly matched therapies doubled survival rates in advanced cancers.
Caribbean challenges: While the U.S. and Europe routinely test for BRCA mutations (linked to breast and ovarian cancer), many Caribbean nations lack access to genetic testing. Cheaper, portable sequencers (like Oxford Nanopore) could change this.
The future? Every patient’s tumor will have a genomic "fingerprint" guiding their treatment, no more unnecessary chemo.
3. Liquid biopsies: The blood test that could replace invasive procedures
No more painful biopsies? Liquid biopsies detecting tumor DNA in blood are making it possible.
Early successes: Companies like Guardant Health and Grail use liquid biopsies to find cancer earlier (even Stage I) and monitor treatment response. A 2023 NEJM study showed liquid biopsies detected over 50 cancer types with 99% specificity.
Game-changer for the Caribbean: In regions where CT scans and biopsies are hard to access, a simple blood test could revolutionize cancer monitoring, especially for diseases like prostate and colon cancer.
Downside? Cost. At $1,000+ per test, widespread use in low-income countries remains a hurdle.
4. Global disparities: Can tech bridge the gap?
While AI and precision medicine thrive in wealthy nations, 70% of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Tele-oncology: Platforms like MORE Health connect Caribbean doctors with U.S. specialists for second opinions, reducing diagnostic delays.
AI for resource-limited settings: IBM’s Watson for Oncology (despite controversies) has helped doctors in India and Thailand access treatment guidelines. Cheaper alternatives, like open-source AI models, could democratize care further.
But, Internet access, training, and infrastructure remain barriers.
5. Ethical dilemmas: Privacy, bias, and who gets left behind?
With great tech comes great responsibility.
Data privacy: If an AI trains on your mammogram, who owns that data? HIPAA (U.S.) and GDPR (Europe) protect patients, but many Caribbean nations lack similar laws.
AI bias: A 2019 Science study found racial bias in an algorithm used on 200 million U.S. patients, underestimating Black patients’ health risks. If AI is trained mostly on white Western patients, will it work for Afro-Caribbean populations?
Accessibility: Will AI worsen global inequities, or can it be leveraged to uplift LMICs?
The bottom line
AI and precision medicine are not science fiction—they’re happening now. But for these tools to benefit everyone, we need:
Affordable, localized AI solutions for low-resource regions
Stronger data protection laws in developing nations
Diverse medical datasets to prevent AI bias
The future of cancer care is smarter, kinder, and more personalized. The question is: Will it be fair?
What are your thoughts? Should LMIC governments invest more in AI diagnostics?
Read more from Dr. Asha Martin
Dr. Asha Martin, Medical Oncologist and Clinical Haematologist
Dr. Asha Martin MD DM (Haem-Onc) is a passionate Medical Oncologist and Clinical Haematologist with over a decade of experience, now practicing in St. Lucia. Focusing on breast, colon, and prostate cancers, multiple myeloma, and anemias, she balances her work at the island’s main public hospital with her private practice. Driven by a mission to empower patients, she launched Sabinearose.com in 2025, offering clear, practical health insights. When not treating patients, she writes to demystify cancer care, because knowledge is the first step to healing.
