Lauren Bannon, 40, began experiencing unexplained weight reduction and protracted stomach pain. Multiple doctors dismissed her concerns as rheumatoid arthritis or acid reflux disease. She was prescribed medication, but her condition worsened.
“I felt abandoned by the medical career,” Bannon said. “It was like I used to be just out and in of the door, without real answers.”
Frustrated, Bannon turned to ChatGPT, a tool she already used for work in marketing.
She typed in her symptoms and asked what else could mimic arthritis. ChatGPT suggested Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune thyroid disorder, and told her to request a test for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies.
Her doctor was skeptical, no family history, no fatigue, no classic signs. But Bannon insisted: “Just humour me,” she told them.
The consequence
Tests got here back abnormal. Further scans revealed two small malignant tumors in her neck. “I do know needless to say the cancer would’ve spread without ChatGPT,” she said. “It 100% saved my life.”
Bannon had no textbook symptoms and normal leads to routine checkups. If she had accepted the initial diagnosis and stayed on arthritis meds, the cancer might’ve gone undetected for for much longer.
Lauren Bannon, 40, took to social media to share that Chat GPT helped save her life (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
AI tools like ChatGPT are increasingly used to support medical decisions
- Already applied in spotting breast cancer, skin cancer, and diabetic eye disease.
- Patients use them to grasp symptoms, suggest tests, and prepare for appointments.
- Bannon’s story is one among growing patient empowerment, using AI to be heard when the system fails.
AI isn’t a alternative for doctors. But it could flag rare issues, fill diagnostic gaps, and help patients push for higher care.
Bannon’s advice
“I’d encourage others to make use of ChatGPT with caution. But it gives you something to bring to your doctor. It can’t hurt; and it would just save your life.”
ChatGPT didn’t diagnose cancer. But it asked the correct query. And that modified all the things.
