September 22, 2026
AI Finds Cancer Before Diagnosis: No Drug Has Reached Clinical Practice in 13 Years
As of September 22, 2026, AI drug discovery has not brought a single drug through FDA approval, treatment reimbursement, and clinical adoption in 13 years. In a 2022 proof of concept, radiologist Ajit Goenka used ML to detect pancreatic cancer before clinical diagnosis, including in cases with seemingly normal organs.
AI has been searching for drugs for 13 years. During that time, no drug has made it all the way from FDA approval to treatment reimbursement and adoption in clinics.
Early signal. Ajit Goenka has been studying ML for early pancreatic cancer detection since 2021. His 2022 work showed that a model can spot a tumor before clinical diagnosis.
Big tech executives promise a cure in 5–10 years or “in our lifetime.” Oncologist Sherin Loy does not expect a cure for all types of cancer in the next 10 years.
AI agents for guiding brain tumor patients are already undergoing clinical trials.
