While surfing the internet, I came across this piece describing AI-based treatment for cancer by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison (link). For convenience, I reproduce it below:
“Thank you Mr President. One of the most exciting things we’re working on using the tools that Sam and MSA are providing is our cancer vaccine. It’s very interesting early diagnosis.
All of our cancers, cancer tumors (have) little fragments of those tumors float around in your blood so you can do early cancer detection. If you can do early cancer detection with a blood test using AI to look at the blood test, you can find the cancers that are actually seriously threatening the person.
So we can again cancer diagnose using AI. (AI) has the promise of just being a simple blood test. Then beyond that, once we gene sequence that cancer tumor you can then vaccinate the person, design a vaccine for every individual person to vaccinate them against that cancer. And you can make that vaccine, the mRNA vaccine, you can make that robotically again using AI in about 48 hours.
So imagine early cancer detection, the development of a cancer vaccine for your particular cancer aimed at you and have that vaccine available in 48 hours.
This is the promise of AI and the promise of the future.” – Oracle CEO Larry Ellison”
Scientifically, it does not make sense. For example:
Saying, “If you can do early cancer detection with a blood test.” But where is that test? I have not seen one – a scientifically validated lab test.
The weakness and irrelevancy of the current lab-based cancer test are described by the National Cancer Institute (link).
“Helping to diagnose cancer. However, having an elevated level of a tumor marker does not mean that someone has cancer. Noncancerous conditions can sometimes cause an increase in the level of a tumor marker. In addition, not everyone with a particular type of cancer will have a higher level of a tumor marker associated with that cancer. Therefore, measurements of tumor markers are usually combined with the results of other tests, such as biopsies or imaging, to diagnose cancer.”
“Because tumors produce markers that can be measured in blood and other body fluids, researchers have hoped that they might also be useful in screening people for cancer—that is, detecting cancer at an early stage before it causes symptoms.
However, studies to see whether circulating tumor markers can be used to screen for cancer have generally found that these markers do not work well for screening. They often don’t identify everyone with the disease (they are not sensitive enough). Or they may indicate the possible presence of cancer in people who don’t actually have cancer (they are not specific enough).”
Then, saying, “… using AI to look at the blood test…” This means AI comes after having a test – cancer test, which is correct. So, if a test is unavailable or unreliable, then AI cannot help.
Currently, cancer is generally diagnosed by biopsies (pictures/images), a subjective assessment, like the assessment of viruses based on images of cultures. There have been numerous claims about viruses; however, nowhere is the virus to be found.
It is understandable that because science/cancer/testing may not be Mr. Ellison’s expertise, he could not understand and explain the intricacies of diagnosis and testing correctly. Hence, he is providing inaccurate assessments and claims.
It would be safe to assume he must have scientific advisors to guide him. I will be happy to discuss the issue and clarify the situation with the advisors before they move deeper into the AI-Cancer project. It will save many misaligned resources, future disappointment, and health-related tragedies, like what occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., relying on false (PCR) test/testing,
I can easily be reached through my website (link). For convenience, I provide a link describing my academic training and expertise over 40+ years in science/chemistry (medicines/pharmaceuticals) (link).