Reply to post: Early detection of pancreatic cancer is huge

Algorithm can predict pancreatic cancer from CT scans well before diagnosis

David G from Visalia

Early detection of pancreatic cancer is huge

I agree that it would be good for these doctors to work with programmers to enhance the ML system to show the "why" of it's conclusion. But on the other hand, pancreatic cancer is devastating. Although the article says 9 out of 10 people are dead within five years, it's much worse than that. Pancreatic cancer develops to Stage 4 with NO symptoms. When you finally do have symptoms, you are 30 days or less away from death. The doctor can only tell you to wrap up your affairs and say goodbye to your loved ones.

The thing is, IF some random accident causes your pancreatic cancer to be found early, it's actually a well treatable cancer. It doesn't have to be a life sentence - if it's found early. But it almost never is.

I'm glad these doctors are working on this problem, and hope they can further their work well. Sure, I'd like ML systems to be developed to where they can point out the differences between noise and information that caused the conclusion; but even without that, I welcome anything that produces early detection of pancreatic cancer.

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