Digital technology can go a long way in supporting the democratisation of cancer care. it becomes all the more pertinent when we look at the figures. According to the World Health Organisation, India had an estimated 1.16 million new cancer cases in 2018, and one in 10 Indians is predicted to develop cancer during their lifetime. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (that can learn to predict outcomes) can empower doctors and patients, in the journey from diagnosis to treatment.
When it comes to diseases like cancer, it’s as much a data problem as a medical one. In that context, technological initiatives aid us in recognising basic patterns, mapping genes and DNA to determine the efficacy of a particular cancer care pathway. For chronic diseases like cancer, one needs access to experts, not necessarily physical access. Digital tools enable virtual reach addressing geographical and time constraints. This shift to virtual expert access has a profound effect in fields such as oncology. In that sense, a seamless navigation pathway that is aided by digital advancements is making a significant impact in the quality of people’s lives.
We’re already seeing several major changes happening. Firstly, CAD (computer aided diagnosis) is ubiquitous now in screening programs and diagnosis, being done virtually. The second big change is the concept of specialised clinics, where one can expect a same day diagnosis, something that could never be imagined earlier. This means being able to visit the hospital in the morning, get a screening for the biopsy, followed by the diagnosis and the tumour board getting together to offer a treatment pathway, all of it possible on the same day.
The whole concept of specialised out-patient clinics is significant. Then, we have liquid biopsies, digital pathologies, which actually accelerates the turnaround time, which typically takes weeks and months. The third development is that hospitals are actually trying to reposition themselves, focussing more on specialisation in terms of treatment. Finally, there has to be awareness around symptoms, for example, if a cancer patient has a vomiting episode, what could be the contributing factors?
