Indian AI platform for cancer care featured in Brics health journal

NEW DELHI: An Indian artificial intelligence platform being developed to support cancer care will get a global spotlight at the BRICS Summit, with a review of the technology featured in a special issue of The BRICS Health Journal was inaugurated by dignitaries during the September 12-13 summit.The platform, iOncology.ai, has been developed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, with support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It is designed to integrate cancer-related clinical data and support early detection, risk stratification, treatment planning, multidisciplinary review and longitudinal patient-data management.The review, “Transforming cancer care in emerging economies: India’s AI innovation,” by Ashok Sharma and colleagues from AIIMS New Delhi and C-DAC Pune, examines how artificial intelligence could strengthen cancer screening, early diagnosis and access to specialist care. iOncology.ai is currently undergoing pilot-stage clinical validation and implementation evaluation to assess its performance and potential use in clinical settings.Talking to TOI about the platform, Dr Ashok Sharma said India has an opportunity to demonstrate how locally developed innovations such as iOncology.ai can help bridge cancer-care disparities across the Global South. “Through BRICS collaboration, our focus should be on strengthening cancer prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and therapy through evidence-based, interoperable solutions tailored to the needs of emerging economies,” he said. The goal, he added, is to empower clinicians and enable earlier, smarter and more equitable cancer care, particularly in resource-constrained settings.The need is significant: the review says BRICS countries account for more than 40% of the world’s population, with around 9 million new cancer cases and 4.66 million deaths. It also highlights wide differences in cancer patterns and access to screening, early diagnosis and specialist care.The review places iOncology.ai within India’s expanding cancer-control and digital-health infrastructure, including population screening, cancer surveillance, tertiary care and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The platform uses curated Indian clinical, radiological and histopathological datasets, with plans to incorporate genetic data and work with electronic health-record systems.However, iOncology.ai is not yet clinically validated. It is being evaluated in research mode, with no peer-reviewed evidence yet establishing its diagnostic accuracy, clinical utility or effectiveness. Prospective multicentre validation will be needed before wider clinical use.Get the latest Business News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.