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AI and Cancer Treatment

  • Gov+AI
  • Jul 14
  • 2 min read
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In Australia, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne has partnered with IBM to implement Watson for Oncology. The AI system is used to assist clinicians by analysing patient records, previous case studies, and the latest research to identify personalised treatment paths. This collaboration aims to enhance the decision-making process, reduce the risk of human error, and provide patients with access to the most current and effective therapies available.

Addressing Complexity in Cancer Care

Cancer treatment is increasingly complex, with clinicians needing to keep pace with an ever-expanding body of research, clinical trials, and individual patient data. At Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Watson for Oncology has been trialled to help meet this challenge—particularly in matching lung cancer patients to relevant clinical trials. In a recent study, Watson was able to match patients to clinical trials with 92% accuracy compared to manual clinician matching, and reduced the time required from hours to just minutes (ZDNet, 2018). This efficiency is vital in oncology, where timely access to new treatments can directly influence patient outcomes.

 

Integrating AI into Clinical Workflows

The Centre is a leader in adopting new technologies to support personalised medicine, drawing on its strengths in biostatistics, bioinformatics, and implementation science (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2025). By embedding AI tools like Watson into daily clinical practice, the centre is able to standardise processes, streamline patient assessments, and ensure that treatment recommendations are based on the latest evidence.

 

Ethical Alignment: Human-Centric and Transparent

The use of Watson for Oncology at Peter MacCallum is guided by ethical principles that prioritise human-centric values and transparency. Oncologists remain at the centre of all decisions, using AI-generated insights to inform—but not replace—their clinical judgement. The recommendations provided by Watson are based on clear algorithms and traceable data sources, allowing clinicians to audit and understand the rationale behind each suggestion (IBM Newsroom, 2019). This commitment to transparency supports accountability and builds trust among both clinicians and patients.

 

Impact on Australian Cancer Care

By leveraging AI, Peter MacCallum is improving the speed and accuracy of clinical decisions, expanding patient access to innovative therapies, and setting a benchmark for digital health technology integration in Australian oncology. As electronic medical records become more widely adopted across the Parkville precinct, the potential for AI-driven insights to further enhance cancer care in Australia will only continue to grow (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2025).

 

Sources

[2] [PDF] Implementation Toolkit - Clinical Oncology Society of Australia https://www.cosa.org.au/media/jrwb4ixi/cosa-toolkit_final_071124.pdf

[3] [PDF] Student Project Book 2025 - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre https://www.petermac.org/images/Education/Student%20Project%20Book%202025.pdf

[6] Spotlight on Implementation Science - Peter MacCallum Cancer ... https://www.petermac.org/component/indexedsearch/details/spotlight-on-implementation-science


 
 
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