At Google’s Inaugural Cancer AI Symposium last week, the progress in the genetics and oncology space was on display in full force. For myself, working in both the tech space and hoping to advance care in the clinical area, one statistic really stood out: if detected at an early stage before symptoms appear, 91% of cancers are curable (Freegenome). The power of early detection may seem obvious, but it’s now becoming more of a reality due in large part to AI-driven efforts around early detection, diagnosis, and treatment efforts.
In a room with some of the brightest minds in cancer care, a convergence between where we are and where we’re going in AI advancement painted a bright picture for the future of this specialty.
Where We Are
The symposium’s agenda focused on topics around personalized medicine, breakthroughs in a cancer cure, AI in action, and public policy & privacy. As a genomics specialist in the tech space, I was especially interested in the AI in action topic and learning about other innovative tools that are being developed. Presenters spoke about how technology is enhancing the accuracy of genetic sequencing and imaging to improve early detection. On the other side, many analysts also lamented the disconnect between data and EHRs. Time is of the essence in early detection, yet there’s often a delay in the data making it to clinical application. MEDITECH has already made strides towards bridging the gap.
During the lightning sessions, I presented MEDITECH’s advancements in precision medicine and how we transformed digital innovation into Expanse Genomics, the first fully integrated EHR-based solution. By allowing discrete genetic data to flow directly into clinical utility, Expanse Genomics is already setting a new standard. Our solution takes it even farther by leveraging the discrete genetic data to provide recommended therapies and clinical trials in the oncology space, as well as pharmacogenomic direction at the time of ordering for better patient care.
Where We’re Going
The event focused on both the present and future in cancer care advancements and also the challenges that we still need to overcome. Insurance coverage continues to be an obstacle between consumers receiving the care they need at affordable prices. Companies focused on sequencing technologies, as a result, outlined their goals to curb the cost of genetic testing in order to make it more accessible to all. If patients are unable to afford the tests, then these life-saving early detection applications can’t be used to their full potential.
Now, having launched Expanse Genomics and the fully reimaged Expanse Pathology solutions, our next steps are diving into imaging and the use of AI to help drive decisions for pathologists to detect cancer more accurately and quickly. We are excited to lead in this space, leveraging groundbreaking solutions to bring clinicians together across the care continuum in workflows that have long been disconnected. With these new technologies, we can bring the power of genomics to every clinical area – not just oncology – and continue to drive innovation.
Read more about how we're extending Expanse Genomics, our industry-leading solution.
