Mayo Clinic's AI Watches Prostate Cancer Patients 24/7

Prostate cancer patients now have a digital guardian watching over their recovery every hour of every day, thanks to a breakthrough system from Mayo Clinic.

The PSA Control Tower uses artificial intelligence to track test results for patients after prostate cancer treatment, spotting subtle warning signs that might slip through standard checkups. Traditional follow-up care relies on scheduled appointments and manual chart reviews, which can delay urgent interventions by weeks or even months.

The system monitors prostate-specific antigen levels, a key blood marker that indicates whether cancer might be returning. A single PSA test provides a snapshot, but detecting recurrence requires watching how those numbers change over time. As hospitals treat more patients with increasingly complex cases, keeping close tabs on everyone becomes nearly impossible without help.

Dr. Mark Waddle, who helped develop the technology, explains that the Control Tower analyzes patient data continuously in the background. When the AI spots concerning trends, it alerts the medical team through easy-to-read dashboards that highlight which patients need attention right away.

The system runs on Mayo Clinic Platform, a secure environment where researchers can study patterns across thousands of de-identified patient records. The AI learns from lab results, imaging scans, pathology reports, and clinical notes to build predictive models that get smarter over time.

The Ripple Effect

This technology could transform cancer care far beyond Mayo Clinic's walls. The system frees up oncologists to see more new patients and focus their expertise where it matters most, rather than spending hours manually reviewing routine test results for stable patients.

Patients gain peace of mind knowing nothing falls through the cracks. Doctors get the information they need to have informed conversations about personalized treatment plans. Hospitals can provide more reliable follow-up care without overwhelming their clinical teams.

The model fits into Mayo Clinic's vision for precision oncology, combining advanced analytics with human compassion and clinical judgment. As the technology expands to other health systems nationwide, thousands more prostate cancer survivors could benefit from earlier detection and faster responses when something goes wrong.

The AI never replaces human doctors, but it makes sure every patient gets watched as closely as if they had their own dedicated specialist reviewing their charts daily.