Artificial intelligence (AI) technology, widely used in various fields of medicine, has started playing a significant role in the diagnosis of blood cancers, enabling the detection of cancer cells in seconds and facilitating personalized treatment planning more effectively. Prof. Dr. Muhlis Cem Ar, President of the Turkish Hematology Association, explained that leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, which occur in the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, are classified as hematologic cancers.
Ar emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and awareness of symptoms in these cancers, whose exact causes are not fully known, stressing that increasing awareness and making a timely diagnosis are crucial for treatment success.
He noted that AI technologies are increasingly playing an active role in diagnosis and treatment planning in medicine, complementing traditional visual interpretations and the expertise of physicians. AI algorithms have started to play a major role, especially in the diagnosis and treatment protocols of tumors, providing valuable support to healthcare professionals.
Ar also discussed how AI can assist hematologists in identifying cancerous and non-cancerous blood cells by loading thousands of photos of blood cells and tumor characteristics into AI algorithms.
This accelerates the diagnostic process and supports physicians in various fields. Furthermore, AI is expected to make administrative tasks like appointment scheduling, reporting results, and triage procedures more efficient, though he emphasized that physicians' expertise and judgment remain central.
Prof. Dr. Emin Kaya, a member of the Turkish Hematology Association's board, highlighted the revolutionary steps AI algorithms are taking in hematology, including cancer detection and treatment personalization.
He stated that AI-powered microscope analysis allows for fast and detailed examination of blood cells, enabling rapid detection of blood cancers such as leukemia. AI's role in diagnosing cancer at an early stage significantly increases patients' chances of successful treatment, especially in cancers like leukemia, where cell proliferation occurs rapidly.
Kaya also emphasized the importance of personalized treatment based on each patient's genetic profile and the characteristics of the tumor, with AI playing a critical role in determining the most suitable treatment. AI accelerates the diagnostic and treatment planning process, which is essential for patient survival, while also easing the workload of healthcare staff and allowing for overall efficiency improvements.
