Researchers at Flinders University and an international team conducted a scoping review examining the role of generative AI in cancer care. The review identified 2,441 records and found that just 32 studies examined how cancer patients, survivors and caregivers perceive generative AI being used in their treatment. The findings were published in the European Journal of Cancer.
People affected by cancer were generally favorable toward generative AI when it improved the accessibility and readability of health information, the review found. However, most studies focused on providing cancer information or simplifying clinical reports, leaving many other potential uses of generative AI in cancer care unexplored.
"Designing AI for patients is not the same as designing it with them," said Dr. Bradley Menz, a research fellow at Flinders University's College of Medicine and Public Health. He noted that if these tools are to influence cancer care, "patients, survivors and caregivers need a meaningful role in shaping how they are designed, governed and used."
The review revealed major gaps in previous research. Of the 32 studies, only three examined accountability perspectives, and no studies assessed views on safety, transparency, equity or the preservation of human autonomy. Trust in generative AI often depended on whether its responses were personalized, emotionally appropriate and perceived as accurate, the research showed.
Associate Professor Ashley Hopkins from Flinders University said that understanding cancer patient perspectives could inform the design and implementation of generative AI systems, including interface design, patient education, consent processes and governance structures. "Future studies need to assess perspectives with greater conceptual breadth and depth," Hopkins said, noting that current literature focused most often on comprehension, usefulness, relevance, trust, accuracy and clarity.
