What Does The Future Hold for Thoracic Oncology and AI Use in Cancer?

Chinmay Jani, MD, joined CancerNetwork^® in the studio to discuss different aspects of his work dedicated to advancing precision medicine in oncology. He highlighted ongoing research and studies focused on artificial intelligence (AI)–based tools in oncologic decision-making as well as overcoming immunotherapy resistance among those with lung cancer.

Regarding the application of AI platforms into oncologic workflows, Jani detailed findings from a study he presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting assessing AI decision support in the care of patients with EGFR-mutant non–small cell lung cancer. Findings showed that AI systems aligned with expert decision-making in frontline treatment, although significant divergence occurred in the second line. His research demonstrated a need for greater validation and clinical safeguards when using AI as part of oncologic decision-making.

Although Jani said that AI will be a “helpful and essential” tool for medicine, research, and healthcare implementation in oncology, he noted where novel modalities must improve, including the ethics surrounding their use.

“AI can be helpful in documentation and preparing manuscripts, but there has to be….a layer of ethics, so you can utilize it as a tool in modifying and making it more refined,” Jani said. “However, if you're completely relying on it, then that's not your research, and we need to be more mindful about it, as well.”

Additionally, Jani spoke about various initiatives in the thoracic oncology field that he and colleagues are leading to overcome immunotherapy resistance, harness novel biomarkers, and improve early cancer detection to help bolster outcomes among those with lung cancer. These efforts, along with the introduction of novel therapeutics like tarlatamab-dlle (Imdelltra) and strategies like liquid biopsy, may help achieve the goal of turning lung cancer into a “chronic disease” where patients can live not just for a few month or years but for decades.

Jani is chief fellow in Hematology and Oncology at University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.