Use of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in Cancer Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The cancer patients are more vulnerable and are at increased risk of COVID-19 and related outcomes due to their weakened immune systems, specially patients with lung cancer. Amid pandemic, the diagnosis, treatment, and care of cancer patients are very difficult and challenging due to several factors. In such situations, the latest technology in artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning algorithms (ML) have potential to provide better diagnosis, treatments and cares of cancer patients. For example, the researches may use clinical and imaging data with machine learning techniques to make differences between coronavirus-related lung changes and those caused by immunotherapy and radiotherapy. During this pandemic, AI can be used to ensure we are getting the right patients enrolled speedily and more efficiently than the traditional, and complex ways in the past in cancer clinical trials. This is the appropriate time to go beyond the “research as usual” approach and update our research via AI and ML tools to care the cancer patients and discover new and more effective treatments.