Featured Post from Augusta University

Learn the facts – and falsehoods -- about ‘curing’ cancer

Jun 19, 2019

2 min



When it comes to cancer awareness, any news, promotion and exposure is good news. The goal of those on the frontlines of the battle against this disease is to inform the public, every message encouraging healthier living, prevention methods and hopefully, inspiring more people to support cancer research.  


Doctors can successfully treat cancer. However, there is no cure.


Just this month, as the political rhetoric continues ramping up for the 2020 election, former Vice President Joe Biden used cancer as a platform.


"A lot of you understand what loss is and when loss occurs, you know that people come up to you and tell you 'I understand' if you lose a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a family member," he said. "That's why I've worked so hard in my career to make sure that — I promise you if I'm elected president, you're going to see the single most important thing that changes America, we're gonna cure cancer." – USA Today, June 12


For Biden, cancer is an issue that is close to him. He lost his son to brain cancer in 2015. He’s passionate and deeply invested in those who have also lost a loved one to the disease. But his messaging was not accurate.


If you are covering cancer research, prevention and the quest for the best possible outcomes for those diagnosed and being treated for the disease, the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University has experts who can help with your stories.


Dr. Daniel Albo is able to discuss the fact that yes, there are highly successful treatments for a variety of different cancers. But, there is no “single bullet” that will cure every kind of cancer there is. This is the mistake Biden made during his speech. For some cancer patients, it’s about working with their doctor to find ways to manage their disease during the entirety of their life, similar to high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.


To find new treatment options and therapies for all kinds of cancer, it will take investment from multiple levels of government. But money is not all that is needed. It will take basic science researchers working with clinicians to make new “bench-to-bedside” treatment discoveries. Also, public health and prevention, as well as improving access to health care, are essential to ending the burden cancer puts on patients, their family and their friends.


Dr. Albo serves as Chair in the Department of Surgery for the Medical College of Georgia, the Surgeon-in-Chief for Augusta University Health System and associate director of surgical services for the Georgia Cancer Center. He is available to speak with media – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.



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The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce held its first artificial intelligence field hearing of the year, titled "Building an AI-Ready America: How AI Is Creating Opportunities Across America's Workforce," at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University on July 24. U.S. Rep. Rick W. Allen, who represents Georgia's 12th District and chairs the committee's Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, chaired the hearing. He was joined by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia. Jeffery Talbert, PhD, chair of Augusta University's Department of Artificial Intelligence and Health at the Medical College of Georgia and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, served as one of four witnesses at the hearing. "Today, we examine how artificial intelligence, AI, is creating economic opportunities for American workers, job creators and our communities," Allen told the committee. "There's no better place to hold this hearing than right here in Augusta." Allen said the combination of the Georgia Cyber Center and Fort Gordon provides the expertise needed to discuss AI. "Fort Gordon is just a short 30-minute drive from where we currently sit," he said. "It hosts the Army Cyber Center of Excellence and is home to Army Cyber School, which trains, educates and develops the Army's Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare workforce. Every year, thousands of people leave Fort Gordon looking for work." He added that the Georgia Cyber Center "was created to meet this growing demand and drive collaboration between academia, government and industry stakeholders to equip a superior cybersecurity workforce with the skills they need." Augusta University President Russell T. Keen told the committee it was an honor for AU's Georgia Cyber Center to host the hearing. "Congressman Allen has long recognized the important role that education, innovation and workforce development play in strengthening our state and our nation," Keen said. He added that AI "will continue to change how we live, how we learn, how we work and how we solve problems," and that Augusta University "intends to lead in that transformation in ways that strengthen our workforce, advance discovery, improve lives, change lives and save lives." Talbert, who has more than 30 years of experience in biomedical informatics, has published approximately 260 times and has led more than 100 funded research projects totaling more than $130 million. He told the committee that in health care, AI is demonstrating its greatest value through augmentation, helping professionals "work more effectively, reducing administrative burdens, improving patient outcomes and expanding workforce capacity." He pointed to ambient documentation technology, which converts clinical conversations into draft notes clinicians review and approve, as one of the industry's most successful AI applications. "Multiple studies show these tools reduce documentation burden, after-hours work and burnout," Talbert said. "One multisystem implementation found clinician burnout fell from approximately 52 percent to 39 percent." He also cited studies showing AI-assisted breast cancer screening detecting approximately 29 percent higher cancer rates, "helping more patients benefit from earlier diagnosis and treatment." America's opportunity, Talbert said, "is not simply to adopt AI, but to lead its responsible development, education and implementation." He pointed to Augusta University's Department of AI and Health, the first of its kind in Georgia, as an example of that approach. Allen closed the hearing by cautioning against a one-size-fits-all approach to AI policy. "The needs of a family farm are not the same as those of a hospital, a manufacturing plant or a small business," he said. "Congress must pursue flexible policies that allow businesses to adopt AI in ways that best suit their industry and workforce." JagWire has the full recap of the hearing and the Augusta Chronicle, Innovation & Entrepreneurs News and Traders Union also covered the field hearing. Augusta University experts in artificial intelligence, healthcare innovation and workforce development are available for interviews. If you're covering similar stories, reach out to schedule time.

The Real Risk of AI in the Classroom Isn't the Tool, It's the Shortcut featured image

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