Evidence mapPaperPMID 41316486Full record

ReviewJournal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR2025

The role of artificial intelligence-based foundation models and "copilots" in cancer pathology: potential and challenges.

Cillian H Cheng, Chi Chun Wong

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Cillian H ChengInstitute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0975-6926
Chi Chun WongInstitute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. chichun.wong@cuhk.edu.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1362-3541

Funding

Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project 2023ZD0501400; 2023ZD0500200Research Grants Council-General Research Fund 14101725; 14107924; 14101322RGC-Collaborative Research Fund C4008-23WF, C4042-24GF
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into cancer pathology offers an imperative solution to global pathologist shortages and increasingly complex diagnostic demands. This review summarized the rapid evolution of AI in the field, highlighting the paradigm shift from task-specific (TS) algorithms towards powerful, versatile foundation models (FMs), such as UNI, CONCH, GigaPath, mSTAR, and Atlas. These models, trained on massive and diverse datasets using self-supervised and multimodal learning, demonstrate remarkable capabilities in cancer classification, subtyping, outcome prediction, and biomarker discovery. The emergence of AI "copilots", such as PathChat, SmartPath, further promises to streamline workflows through conversational interfaces and autonomous task planning. However, significant challenges impede clinical translation, including a validation crisis underscored by poor generalizability in zero-shot testing, critical concerns regarding model explainability ("black-box" nature), risks of hallucinations in generative tools, and ensuring generalizability and fairness across diverse populations. Robust external validation, standardized benchmarking, development of explainable AI approaches, and novel regulatory frameworks are essential to responsibly harness the transformative potential of foundation models and realize their promise in improving diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and patient outcomes in cancer pathology.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceDiagnosis, Computer-AssistedNeoplasmsPathology, ClinicalBenchmarkingDatasets as TopicHumansAI "copilots"Artificial intelligence (AI)Cancer pathologyFoundation modelsTraining and validation

Identifiers

PMID41316486
PMCPMC12763834

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.