It is no less than a miracle of sorts for women suffering from breast cancer. On the occasion of World Cancer Day on 4 February the news broke that AI has successfully detected 28 per cent more incidents of breast cancer at much more advanced stage compared to the traditional method used by radiologists.

And what’s more, the detections not only picked up a very early onset of breast cancer in women patients but also did that with far more accuracy than the human radiologists could by studying thousands of mammograms in minutes. There were no false positive

The researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, led by Dr. Kristina Lång, investigated the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in breast cancer screening. The study involved a sample size of 80,033 women aged 40–74 who underwent mammography over a period of two years, according to a study published in The Lancet Digital Health,

The AI-supported screening detected 244 cancers (28% more) compared to 190 by standard screening, with a similar false-positive rate. Additionally, the workload for radiologists was reduced by 44% when AI was implemented.

Now this breakthrough is a game changer for women’s health. It is particularly significant because early and accurate detection of breast cancer greatly improves survival rates.

Traditional mammograms require radiologists to analyze breast images manually, which can sometimes lead to missed cancers, especially in dense breast tissues in certain women.  AI helps by scanning thousands of mammograms and detecting suspicious areas with high accuracy. Think of AI as an extra pair of expert eyes that never gets tired. It can recognize tiny changes in the breast tissue that might go unnoticed in traditional screening, catching cancer earlier than before.

One of the biggest problems with traditional mammograms is false positives—cases where a woman is told she might have cancer, but further tests show she does not. AI has been shown to reduce these false alarms significantly. AI can cut that number down, reducing anxiety, emotional trauma, additional, and even painful biopsies.

Currently, women often have to wait days or even weeks for their mammogram results because radiologists must carefully analyze each scan. AI can do this much faster, providing initial assessments in minutes. and treatment can begin sooner, which improves outcomes.

However in India, application of AI has to go hand in hand with affordable costs of treatment and medicines which are still sky high. Last year, Government announced customs exemption on cancer drugs, GST, MRP, VAT reduction, to make treatment affordable, improve survival rates.

The Government’s decision to exempt customs duty on imported cancer drugs – Trastuzumab, Osimertinib and Durvalumab ­– follows an earlier decision to reduce GST rates and is bound to bring smiles on face of low income families who put everything on stake to save their near and dear ones.

Alongside the customs cut, the Government also directed domestic manufacturers reduce the MRP on these drugs. The manufacturers will be required to issue a price list, or supplementary price list to the dealers, state drugs controllers and the Government.

The list will indicate changes and information regarding price change to National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) that regulates the prices of drugs and ensures availability, accessibility and affordability to all.

Commonly used for HER2-positive breast cancer, Trastuzumab can cost between Rs.60,000 and Rs.75,000 per dose in India. The patient typically might need 12 to 18 doses in a year. So the total yearly cost can range from Rs.7 to Rs.13 lakh.

Cancer is one of those diseases that can devastate homes in more than one way. Expenditure on drugs can blow up life-time savings overnight and outstrip all means of income.

Treatments with targeted drugs can last from several months to a several years, especially in cases where cancer becomes chronic or recurs. For example, HER2-positive breast cancer patients may need continued Trastuzumab doses for one year or more, with potential additional drugs like Pertuzumab, which further increase costs.  

The combination of high costs and long-term treatment requirements makes advanced cancer treatment in India largely unaffordable for the average patient. For those without insurance, the financial burden is overwhelming, highlighting the urgent need for better health policy support, including subsidies and broader insurance coverage.