Rx for Biotech
Your Doctor Might Have Missed It - How AI Is Giving Cancer Patients a Second Opinion
Can artificial intelligence help cancer patients understand their diagnosis, find more personalized treatment options, and become better advocates for their own care? In this episode of Rx for Biotech, I met with Steve Brown, Founder and CEO of CureWise, an AI-powered patient advocacy platform designed to help people with cancer better understand their disease, prepare questions for their doctors, and explore precision oncology treatment options. For Steve, this mission is deeply personal. After months of unexplained health problems, Steve was ultimately diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare plasma cell disorder closely related to multiple myeloma. He began using AI agents to analyze his medical records, laboratory results, biopsies, and emerging medical research. Rather than replacing his physicians, AI helped Steve identify patterns, understand the significance of his individual disease biology, and ask more informed questions of specialists. That experience ultimately helped inspire CureWise. In our conversation, Steve explains why he believes the next generation of AI in healthcare should go far beyond simply asking ChatGPT a medical question. CureWise brings together a patient's longitudinal medical information and uses multiple AI models to examine the case from different perspectives - helping patients better understand their cancer and participate more effectively in shared decision-making. The broader vision is not to replace oncologists, but to give patients a more powerful educational and advocacy tool. We also dig into one of the most important ideas in precision cancer care: cancer isn't defined only by where a tumor starts. Increasingly, genomic and molecular testing can reveal mutations and biomarkers that may influence targeted therapies, clinical trials, and other treatment strategies. In this episode: • Steve's personal journey from unexplained symptoms to a rare cancer diagnosis • How he used AI to analyze his medical records • Why AI should support—not replace—oncologists • How CureWise uses multiple AI models to evaluate complex medical information • Why genomic sequencing and biomarker testing matter in precision oncology • Standard-of-care cancer treatment vs. personalized treatment strategies • How patients can prepare more effectively for oncology appointments • AI and clinical trial matching • Why rare molecular subtypes challenge traditional clinical trial models • How AI could democratize access to expertise associated with major cancer centers • The importance of patient advocacy and shared decision-making • Steve's vision for using patient data and AI to accelerate future cancer research Steve's philosophy is particularly relevant for patients and caregivers: AI doesn't have to make the medical decision to be valuable. It can help patients understand the landscape, identify important questions, and participate more effectively in decisions with their oncology team. CureWise was built around that idea- that helping patients understand their specific cancer, identify questions to discuss with their oncology team, and explore clinical trials and emerging therapies that may be relevant to their care. If you or someone you love is navigating a cancer diagnosis, this conversation offers a provocative look at how artificial intelligence, genomic testing, precision medicine, and better patient education could change the cancer journey. Subscribe to Rx for Biotech for conversations with the scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, and patients shaping the future of personalized medicine and advanced therapies. This episode is for educational purposes and does not provide medical advice. AI tools should not replace evaluation or treatment decisions by qualified healthcare professionals. #AIHealthcare #Cancer #CancerTreatment #PrecisionOncology #PrecisionMedicine #CancerResearch #GenomicTesting #PatientAdvocacy #ArtificialIntelligence #CancerCare #Biomarkers #ClinicalTrials #CureWise #RxForBiotech
