Dr. Peter A. Najjar, a surgeon and Johns Hopkins Health System’s clinical innovation vice president, joined FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria<\/a>” to discuss how artificial intelligence is already helping researchers improve cancer detection, speed up drug development and make patient care more efficient, while stressing that more real-world evidence is still needed before its full impact can be measured.<\/p>\n Najjar pointed to recent research involving pancreatic cancer<\/a>, saying artificial intelligence models are helping researchers recognize patterns that would otherwise take physicians decades of experience to identify.<\/p>\n AI-powered analysis of CT scans is showing promise in helping doctors detect deadly cancers earlier, giving patients more treatment options. (gorodenkoff \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer because it is often diagnosed after it has already spread beyond the pancreas. According to the American Cancer Society<\/a>, the overall five-year relative survival rate is just 13%. But when pancreatic cancer is detected before it spreads outside the pancreas, the five-year survival rate increases to 44%.<\/p>\n The disease has claimed the lives of several well-known public figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died from a rare form of pancreatic cancer; actor Patrick Swayze, known for his role in “Dirty Dancing”; and beloved “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, underscoring the devastating toll of a disease that is often difficult to detect in its earliest stages.<\/p>\n U.S. Bank Asset Management Group senior investment strategist Rob Haworth discusses healthcare as a lagging sector benefiting from A.I. advancements on ‘The Claman Countdown.’<\/p>\n “Researchers were able to identify signs of pancreatic cancer up to 16 months ahead of human readers,” Najjar said. “Detection always allows us more treatment options.”<\/p>\n Beyond early detection, Najjar said artificial intelligence is also accelerating drug discovery by allowing scientists to test potential treatments using computer models before moving into laboratory testing.<\/p>\n HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE<\/a><\/p>\n “Many cancer treatments are around figuring out which molecule binds to the right protein for a given cancer,” Najjar said, explaining that AI “dramatically speeds up drug development.”<\/p>\n While the technology has generated<\/a> enormous excitement, Najjar cautioned against overstating its current capabilities.<\/p>\n National Coordinator for Health Information Tech Dr. Thomas Keane unpacks the drug pricing plan expected to save $529 billion and the use of AI in medicine on ‘The Bottom Line.’<\/p>\n “We absolutely need to move full speed ahead to bring this promise to our patients in the clinic,” he said. “But it is still very early days.”<\/p>\n For now, one of artificial intelligence’s most immediate benefits is improving the patient experience. Najjar said AI-powered medical scribes<\/a> can organize records before appointments and automatically document visits, allowing physicians to spend less time typing and more time focused on their patients.<\/p>\n![\"Doctor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/us-medical-ai-technology.png\")
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