Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, with an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 alone. In India, over 1 million new cancer cases are diagnosed every year, and this number is projected to increase in the coming decades.
- Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) present new opportunities to improve cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management.
- If applied thoughtfully, AI could help India strengthen its healthcare system, expand access to quality cancer care, and save lives.
AI for Early Detection and Diagnosis
- AI-based screening has potential to detect cancer earlier, when it is more treatable. For example:
- Machine learning models can analyze medical images to identify possible tumors or lesions.
- Natural language processing can scan pathology reports and other texts for red flag terms.
- Radiology AI startups working in India.
- Niramai – Thermal imaging to detect early stage breast cancer
- OncoBeacon – Imaging analytics platform for better diagnosis
- If widely implemented, AI screening could help.
- Reduce reliance on resource-intensive advanced diagnostics
- Expand access to screening in lower tier cities and rural areas
- Effective AI diagnosis requires high quality, standardized data at scale. Key enablers:
- Digitization of health records under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
- Public-private partnerships to curate annotated Indian imaging datasets.
AI for Precision Oncology and Treatment Planning
- AI can analyze patient records to determine optimal, personalized therapies. For example:
- Match tumor mutation profiles with targeted drugs
- Predict immunotherapy response
- Startups bringing precision oncology AI to India:
- Onco.com – Genomics based cancer care platform
- Triesta Sciences – Pharmacogenomics solution Tailorx to minimize side effects
- Benefits of AI-enabled precision oncology:
- Improve outcomes by accounting for individual variability
- Reduce cost by minimizing ineffective treatments
- Make cutting edge therapies accessible for more patients
- Successful deployment requires integrated data systems and AI talent:
- Seamless sharing of genomic tests, EMRs, pharmacy records
- Investments in both computing infrastructure and human capital
Monitoring Treatment Response and Follow-up Care
- AI has applications across the cancer care continuum:
- Chatbots screening for symptoms, medication side effects
- Predictive models for risk of complications, readmissions
- Computer vision tracking treatment response from medical images
- In India, startups like:
- Haystack Analytics – Radiology patient monitoring and workflow optimization
- Periwinkle Technologies – Chemotherapy care management system
- Longitudinal analysis by AI systems can enable:
- Early detection of recurrent tumors
- Timely interventions and appropriate supportive care
- Feedback loops to improve treatment protocols
- Requires long-term digitization, interoperability, and governance:
- Policies for sustained patient engagement
- Cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive health data
- Redressal systems in case of errors/harms from AI systems
Building an AI-Ready Healthcare Ecosystem
India has immense potential to harness AI for improving cancer outcomes, but it requires a supportive ecosystem spanning policy, infrastructure, data access, and talent cultivation.
Key Priorities
- Public digital health infrastructure
- Expand initiatives like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
- Digitize historical records and mandate digital health systems
- High quality, equitable data
- Curate diverse Indian imaging datasets via public-private partnerships
- Balance innovation with thoughtful data governance frameworks
- Invest in emerging technologies
- Fund research in AI, genomics, and precision medicine
- Cultivate interdisciplinary talent via higher education and skills programs
- Responsible AI guidelines and governance
- Develop cross-sector standards aligned with global norms
- Proactively assess AI systems for metrics like safety, fairness, accountability
Emerging Examples of AI-Led Cancer Care Transformation
Karnataka government rolls out Project Jeevanraksha for AI-powered cervical cancer screening across the state using Intel edge computing technologies.
- Microsoft launches Project Hanuman to provide AI tools for early detection of oral cancer. The initiative combines cloud, AI, and edge computing to enable screening in remote areas.
- The Indian government announces the Open Molecular Morphomics Consortium to create an open platform for histopathology image analysis using AI, starting with breast cancer.
- Apollo hospitals adopt AI-based pharmacogenomics platform Dharma.AI to offer personalized therapies minimizing adverse drug reactions.
- Niramai partners with state governments to deploy its AI-based breast cancer screening solution Thermalytix across 2000 primary health centers on a SaaS model.
Key Statistics
| Year | New Cancer Cases | Cancer Deaths | 5 Year Survival Rate |
| 2015 | 1.1 million | 0.7 million | 33% |
| 2022* | 1.3 million | 0.8 million | 43% |
| 2030** | 1.7 million | 1.2 million | 57% (projected with AI) |