Exploring the Role of DeepSeek in Addressing Common Patient Concerns About Colorectal Cancer: A Commentary

Since its inception, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its utility across diverse scientific and clinical domains. One such AI chatbot, developed by a Chinese AI company and widely used across the Asia-Pacific region, is DeepSeek AI. As it is well known, colorectal cancer is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract that usually produces symptoms (similar to many benign gastrointestinal disorders) such as a change in bowel habits, including persistent diarrhea and/or constipation; occult blood in stool causing gradual iron deficiency anemia and pallor; bloating; generalized abdominal discomfort; and fatigue, most of which are usually overlooked or result in a missed diagnosis of the condition unless there is a high level of suspicion by the clinician. Many individuals, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, who experience such symptoms and/or have a positive family history of colorectal cancer, are becoming increasingly skeptical and are turning to AI chatbots such as DeepSeek AI to explore their health concerns rather than consulting a healthcare professional. This article explores and records such common patient concerns and the responses generated by DeepSeek AI, starting from recognizing the early symptoms and signs, causes of colorectal cancer, strategies for prevention and screening, diagnostic modalities, treatment options, and reducing recurrence risk. The responses generated by DeepSeek AI were documented along with the patient's concerns to facilitate further assessment of their clinical relevance. Finally, a broad review and validation was performed on the responses given by DeepSeek AI, including the authenticity of the response and its relevance to the current health care guidelines. The article ends with a small discussion of the future scope and improvements in generating responses that align with current healthcare guidelines and clinical standards, ensuring safer and more context-aware integration of DeepSeek AI in addressing patient concerns.