Indian AI Cancer Care Platform iOncology.ai Shines at BRICS Summit
iOncology.ai, an Indian AI platform for cancer care, gains recognition at the BRICS Summit with a feature in the BRICS Health Journal.
An innovative Indian artificial intelligence platform designed to enhance cancer care has gained international attention at the recent BRICS Summit. The platform, known as iOncology.ai, was featured in a special issue of the BRICS Health Journal, unveiled during the summit held from September 12-13.
Development and Support
iOncology.ai is a collaborative effort between the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune. The project has received backing from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The platform aims to integrate various aspects of cancer care, including early detection, risk stratification, treatment planning, multidisciplinary review, and longitudinal patient-data management.
Global Implications and Pilot Testing
The review titled “Transforming cancer care in emerging economies: India’s AI innovation” examines the platform's potential to enhance cancer screening, early diagnosis, and access to specialist care. Written by Ashok Sharma and his colleagues at AIIMS and C-DAC, the review highlights the significant disparities in cancer care across the BRICS nations, which collectively represent over 40% of the global population and account for around 9 million new cancer cases annually.
Currently, iOncology.ai is in the pilot stage of clinical validation and implementation evaluation. It is being assessed for its performance and potential application in clinical settings. Dr. Ashok Sharma emphasized the opportunity for India to showcase how local innovations like iOncology.ai could address cancer care disparities, especially in resource-limited settings.
Future Prospects and Challenges
The platform is part of India’s broader cancer-control and digital-health strategy, which includes population screening, cancer surveillance, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. It utilizes curated Indian clinical, radiological, and histopathological datasets, with plans to incorporate genetic data. However, iOncology.ai is still undergoing validation in research mode. There is no peer-reviewed evidence yet to confirm its diagnostic accuracy or clinical utility. Multicentre validation will be necessary before it can be widely adopted in clinical practice.