The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Google Cloud today announced a powerful collaboration to launch an AI-based ASCO Guidelines Assistant. Developed with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and Gemini models, the tool is poised to transform how oncology professionals access and use critical clinical recommendations by providing faster access to ASCO’s full library of evidence-based clinical guidelines.
In addition, in using the ASCO Guidelines Assistant, clinicians can expect a more dynamic user experience, allowing them to ask follow-up questions for intuitive, easy integration of expert information into their patient care plans.
Oncology faces mounting pressure, including rising cancer rates in younger Americans, a growing number of older cancer survivors, rapidly expanding treatment options, and growing fiscal constraints. This adds to the challenges of a projected shortage of oncologists, a strain felt most acutely in community practices and rural areas. As a result, community oncologists handle larger patient volumes and must have expertise across many cancer types as well as access to timely, relevant information.
The ASCO Guidelines Assistant addresses this urgent need in oncology by providing clinicians with a solution that removes the accuracy concerns often associated with publicly available AI tools. By drawing solely from ASCO’s evidence-based, published clinical practice guidelines, the tool offers clinicians ready access to timely, trustworthy information.
“This partnership unlocks the value of ASCO’s trusted guidelines knowledge,” said ASCO CEO Clifford Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO. “Google Cloud’s AI expertise is the engine that will drive faster access to critical information, empowering oncology professionals to make rapid, evidence-based decisions for their patients.”
A cornerstone of the ASCO Guidelines Assistant is its commitment to reliability and transparency. Recognizing the critical importance of accuracy in medical decision-making, the Guidelines Assistant provides clear citations and sources for all information it delivers. Furthermore, it facilitates a dynamic user experience, allowing clinicians to ask follow-up questions and provide feedback to refine and improve the tool. The ASCO Guidelines Assistant is now available to all ASCO members. Learn more on ASCO’s website: asco.org/GA.
“Generative AI is poised to be a powerful ally for the global cancer care community,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. “Think of it as providing clinicians with an AI-powered assistant that never tires, always learns, and can sift through mountains of data in seconds. Our collaboration with ASCO is about harnessing that potential to improve outcomes for cancer patients everywhere.”
The collaboration with Google Cloud signifies a major step in ASCO’s broader initiative to responsibly harness the capabilities of AI to support oncology professionals and improve cancer care.