How AI found deadly cancer
ROUGHLY 12 months ago, police officer Peter Jenkins attended a seminar at the Toowoomba Police Station that saved his life.
After listening to the presentation, Mr Jenkins signed up for Maxwell Plus, a program that uses artificial intelligence and clinicians to analyse men’s past and current blood tests and other factors to determine if further testing is needed. He’s glad he did.
The service picked up early signs of an aggressive prostate cancer that his GPs had missed.
His surgeon told him that if the cancer had been left undiscovered for another 12 months, there would have been no saving him.
“I was very fortunate,” he said.
He said his experience with prostate cancer had made him all the more aware that people need to make sure they took care of their health.
“We’re all responsible for our health,” he said.
“Men should go and get the appropriate checks regularly on their prostate health and be careful of cancer.”
Brisbane-based Dr Elliot Smith, a leading expert in Telehealth and founder of Maxwell Plus, fears Australians could be risking their lives by putting off health checks because of COVID-19.
He said many people didn’t realise how easy it was to keep on top of their health while maintaining social distancing.
In Australia one in 10 people have put off cancer checks because of COVID-19.
Dr Smith said Maxwell Plus provided a telehealth platform for men, focused on prostate cancer.
“We pair men all over the country with clinicians dedicated to prostate cancer,” he said.
“We’ve seen a strong uptake in men seeing prostate cancer testing from clinicians focused on that area.”
He also said a large number of rural men were using the service because of the benefit of seeing a clinician without the burden of travel.