Scientists use AI to uncover hidden signs of deadly cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer, largely because it is often detected only at advanced stages. That makes new research suggesting artificial intelligence could identify early warning signs—before tumours are even visible on scans—even more significant.

An AI model developed at Mayo Clinic has been able to detect abnormalities in CT scans up to three years before patients were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to US media reports.

The researchers trained the model using scans from patients who had originally been examined for unrelated conditions but were later diagnosed with the disease. Radiologists then reviewed the same images, allowing scientists to compare human performance with that of the AI system. The results showed the model was three times more effective at spotting early warning signs.

“We knew, based on the biology of the disease, that this is not something which is coming all of a sudden in three months … We knew that the signal was there. We just needed to find a way to be able to detect it,” said Ajit Goenka, a study author at the Mayo Clinic.

The findings, published this week in the journal Gut, highlight how the AI system can identify subtle biological markers—such as abnormal cells in the pancreas that shield cancer from the immune system. While scientists have long known about these cells, detecting them on standard scans has proven difficult.

Goenka said the technology could eventually be used to screen people at higher risk of pancreatic cancer, including those with a family history of the disease or conditions such as diabetes, even before symptoms appear. In such cases, further testing—such as blood work or additional imaging—would likely follow

Unlike more common cancers such as breast cancer or colon cancer, there is currently no routine screening for pancreatic cancer in otherwise healthy individuals. The pancreas is located deep within the abdomen, making physical detection nearly impossible. Symptoms such as abdominal pain or sudden weight loss typically emerge only after the cancer has spread.

Early signs of the disease are often too subtle for the human eye to detect. In many cases, scans can appear normal just months before a diagnosis—highlighting the potential of AI to transform early detection.

By Nazrin Sadigova