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My chances of having prostate cancer were 50/50.
My father was diagnosed with it at the age of 60, while my uncle on my mother’s side also tested positive for it.
Knowing that outcomes are better if prostate cancer is caught early, I knew it was important to monitor my risk with regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, which involve a simple blood test.
The problem is, they are difficult to interpret. A single test is next to useless; you need multiple tests that can show spikes or accelerated increases over time.
And they're not always easy to get. My previous GP refused to request PSA tests for me because I had no symptoms – even though early-stage prostate cancer has no symptoms.
My next GP gave me regular PSA tests, but after considering my family history and seeing the antigens rise over time, he was unsure when to make the call to take the next steps. After all, medical imaging is expensive and biopsies are invasive, painful and require a significant recovery period.
After seeing the indecision in my GPs face, I decided to look for more information online, and I came across Maxwell Plus, an Australian artificial intelligence (AI) platform that analysed thousands of prostate cancer images, and claimed to deliver otherwise undetected cancer results to patients.
Detection and treatment within months thanks to AI
The program would collate my previous results and family history and use AI to compare my profile against those of 250,000 men around the world.
I decided that had to be better than looking at my results in isolation, so I signed up.
I received a pathology request to get a PSA test, with the results sent directly back to Maxwell Plus. The next day I received a call from one of their GPs who explained that I was in the very high-risk category for prostate cancer and needed to act on it immediately.
Danny Hansen knew he had a high chance of developing prostate cancer so he turned to AI to help him with early detection. Source: Supplied
The specialist urologist sent me for more tests including an MRI. A few days later, I was told the scan had found a lesion on my prostate.
I had a biopsy to check the extent of cancer, a PET scan to see if it had spread and was booked in for a radical prostatectomy to remove my prostate.
I'm so grateful the AI engine was able to find the cancer in the early stages before it had spread. The technology was able to provide a lot more certainty around the imperfect but important PSA tests.
I signed up in January 2021, the lesion was detected in June 2021 and within two months I'd had surgery to remove my prostate.
For me, using AI was a success. I am cured and fully recovered.
'Very grateful' to AI
I know that without this technology I may have found my cancer much later, which could have meant worse outcomes, a reduced quality of life or even death.
But while AI had an important role in the early detection, I know it's not a silver bullet. I see it as another important tool in the clinician’s kit bag and I'm also very grateful to all of the medical professionals involved in my treatment.
Danny Hansen says AI detected his prostate cancer in the early stages, and he had surgery within months. Source: Supplied
In the future I can envision a more powerful AI engine that takes a more holistic approach, using an expanded set of data and providing even more accurate predictions.
I hope that AI can make a comeback in this space because I think the benefits it's given me are just the beginning.
Danny is sharing his personal experience. If you have any concerns around your health, consult your GP.
Readers seeking information on prostate cancer should contact the .
