Does artificial intelligence provide value for money in oncology care? A personal perspective

Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare holds the promise of more accurate, efficient, and accessible healthcare. In the field of oncology, we experience rapidly evolving possibilities with AI. This paper describes recent insights into the potential benefits of AI at four levels of the health production model: 1. health promotion; 2. early detection and screening; 3. treatment and follow-up; and 4. patient support. The scientific literature points to the (potential) benefits of AI at all of these levels, but also to its pitfalls. It is thereby striking that there is still an important shortage of real-world studies demonstrating the added value of AI, in terms of effectiveness, as well as the way it is embedded in healthcare processes and its impact on human interaction and human–machine interaction. In addition, the evidence regarding the value for money of AI in oncology is very limited. Hence, the potential of AI should be leveraged, and more efforts should be made to systematically allow for assessing its real added value and value for money in the field of oncology.