How AI Can Put Patients at the Center of Cancer Care

Steve Brown, founder and CEO of CureWise, as well as a patient with multiple myeloma, and Lisa Booth, a HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patient, sat down for a joint interview with CURE to discuss the future of patient-driven artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care.

CureWise, the AI-powered platform Steve originally developed to help with his own rare blood cancer diagnosis, has evolved into a tool designed to help patients advocate for themselves, navigate complex treatment decisions, and ask the right questions alongside their oncologists.

During the conversation, Steve and Lisa explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI like CureWise into standard care. They highlight how technology can empower patients, provide access to critical information, and create stronger partnerships with their medical teams. From ensuring patients have a voice in their treatment to helping them feel a sense of control during an inherently frightening journey, their discussion demonstrates how AI can aid patients, while not replacing clinicians.

Transcript

What do each of you view as key opportunities for integrating patient-driven artificial intelligence tools, such as CureWise, into standard cancer care?

Brown: I'd say that everybody on the business side of the healthcare industry is looking at AI as something that's going to help them do their jobs better. Doctors are getting AI, and your insurance company is getting AI, and the drug companies are using AI, but who is looking after the person in the chair, the person [who] actually matters? When we walk into a hospital, we're like the product. We're not the customer. Who has our back?

I see that people are going to ChatGPT, and they're using AI all the time, but who is putting this together in a way that [ensures], whatever is possible on the frontier with AI, we're going to be there? Come along with us, and we're going to make sure you have access to the best that's happening with AI. How do you know that we will do this? Because we're doing it for ourselves. It's a matter of life and death, and we need to do this for our [own sake]. We care about this [deeply], and we're doing this [so that] everybody has the [same] empowerment.

Booth: The best outcomes come when the patient is engaged in partnership with their oncologist. I have been so fortunate to have so many connections and access to information that very few people have. I want everybody to be able to have that type of access. I want a tool that is patient-focused and creates that ability to have a shared decision-making partnership with your care provider.

[However], it's going to look different for different people. There are absolutely going to be people out there that just want their oncologist to be the [traditional] white-coat demagogue, and that's okay. There is no right or wrong way to navigate your journey. But many of us need to feel (what we call) control, because when facing an existential threat like a disease that can kill you, the urge to control something is [natural].

Access to information is a safe way to help people get their feet back on the ground. We're creating that right hand for the patient, so they can get the best possible care, build the best possible relationship with their oncologist, and have the calmest experience through their journey. It's not to say it won't be scary, because cancer is scary, but our goal is to equip our friends, family, and our community with a tool set that they need to be successful as a patient.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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