China: Alibaba’s AI model detecting deadly cancers that doctors fail to spot in tests

Key Highlights

• The doctor, the head of the hospital’s pancreatic department, asked him to return for further tests. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD“I knew it couldn’t be anything good,” Qiu recalled. The diagnosis confirmed his fears.
• Qiu had pancreatic cancer.
• However, the tumour was detected at an early stage and was successfully removed by the doctor, Zhu Kelei. More from Tech Musk warns of legal action over 'inappropriate' content created using Grok Best Budget Smartphones of 2025 in IndiaAI tool flags cancer before symptomsThe early diagnosis was made possible by a new AI-powered system the hospital was testing.
• The tool flagged Qiu’s routine CT scan even though he had no symptoms. The system reflects a wider push by Chinese tech companies and hospitals to apply artificial intelligence to complex medical challenges, including cancers that are difficult to detect early. A deadly cancer with limited screening optionsPancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers.
• The five-year survival rate is around 10 per cent, largely because the disease is usually discovered late.