The intention of artificial intelligence (AI) is roughly to “scaling the ability to become human.” According to MD, MD, FACC and LSSBB, he gave a keynote speech entitled “The role of AI in the transformation of community cancer care” during his inauguration.
The origins of AI can be traced back to World War II, Flora explained, citing Alan Turing, the infamous British mathematician, codebreaker and early computer scientist. “This was the first time I've really applied an algorithmic approach to solving complex problems,” Flora said.
Flora is Editor-in-Chief of AI in Precision Oncology, Executive Medical Director of St. Elizabeth Healthcare's Yung Family Cancer Center, Chairman of Robert and Delliansate, and President-elect of the Cancer Care Center Association.
What was the pivotal demonstration of AI capabilities?
Fast forward to 1997 and 2011 respectively, IBM's Deep Blue Supercomputer defeated six-time world champion Garry Kasparov on Chess and IBM's Watson Deep Ka Computer, defeating Jeopardy's two greatest champions of all time, Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings.
“The world exploded in November 2022. [We’ve] All GPT-5, Claude, and all different permutations were seen [other platforms] It has become a part of our daily lives,” Flora said. “We now have over 300 million users at GPT, and its transformative impact touches all of our lives as oncologists.”
But the doubt remains. How will AI affect community oncology centres in the short term? In an audience poll, Flora revealed that the main goal of AI in community settings is to enhance evidence-based treatment (shape).
A step back to consider the long-term impact of AI, Flora said the potential range of AI within healthcare is several times higher, saying it can accelerate drug discovery and development, enhance clinical development, improve cancer diagnosis, address regulatory and health professional challenges, reduce workflows and reduce costs.
Where does AI diagnostics fit the equation?
Diagnosis is another untapped area where AI can help medical imaging, pathological analysis, liquid biopsy analysis, multiomics data integration and clinician decision support, Flora said.
In a report released by Grandview Research, they predict that the global AI on the cancer diagnosis market size was $268.1 million in 2024 and is expected to reach $996.1 million by 2030, reflecting a 24.1% increase over five years.2 The report attributes growth to an increase in globally expensive healthcare, a shortage of health professionals, and an increased demand for early detection and classification of disease.
A drastic shift towards the larger use of AI is noting that the cancer treatment program he oversees is highly AI-enabled, and that he uses AI to read CT scans, mammograms, and digitized pixelated slides.1 They also employ GI Genius Colonoscopy for computer-aided detection of polyps. “We're looking at it [we can] Now move through pathological analysis to detect disease states in these digital pixelated slides, more refined than Johns Hopkins-trained prostate cancer specialists,” Flora said.
What are my concerns as an oncologist in the community of practice?
Flora took the time to respect AI's welcome to practice, taking into consideration potential fallout, and at the same time urged providers to be part of the debate and part of the law that allows them to protect themselves and their patients. “We have to be really careful as doctors to make sure we are responsible for this, and this time we are on the wheels to ensure that AI is not pushed against us. [we’re left not knowing what] We're doing it,” Flora said.
Flora explains that it is at the helm that providers can have the greatest impact on patients and care. Special communications with AI in medicineFDA members estimated that AI could reduce the costs of drug development by up to 70% and cut the time required by half.3
In an exclusive interview with onclive® Following his presentation, Flora stated in his conclusion: “I wanted to paint with fairly wide brush strokes how these things would come to us regardless of their willingness to accept them. We could bury our heads in the sand and take relevant actions, and we did our medical records 15 years ago with the arrival of EMR, or we could study.
Disclosure: Flora is a speaker for Tempus AI, Miba, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Haystack and Natera. Consultant/Advisor for Viz AI, Viecure, Total Health Oncology, Patient Point, and Azra AI. Executives of Cancer Care Center Association, American Cancer Society, Face Community Pharmacy, and AI in Accuracy Oncology. Tensor Black, Inc. is owned by.
reference
- Flora D. The role of AI in transforming community cancer care. Presentation: MIBA Community Summit. September 27th-28th, 2025. Scottsdale, Arizona.
- Grandview research. AI in the cancer diagnosis market (2025-2030). Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/artificial-intelligence-cancer-diagnostics-market-report
- FDA's perspective on the regulation of artificial intelligence in healthcare and biomedical sciences, including Warraich HJ, Tazbaz T, and Califf RM. Jama. 2025; 333(3): 241-247. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.21451
