Last year, my well-planned schedule was turned upside down by one frightening phone call that told me to “grab a pen and paper to take notes about a malignant tumor.” What followed was a whirlwind of scans and biopsies. I won a lottery I never wanted to enter, joining the “one in every eight women” who will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
The following months would bring a parade of impressive oncology specialists, experts in related medical fields, and one remarkable co-pilot: a generative AI (GenAI) assistant I affectionately dubbed “Dr. ChatGPT.” Earlier in the year, when I read Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, I hoped to harness such tools for business. Little did I know it would become a powerful partner in my medical journey.
Like many, I had dabbled with GenAI tools for quick research and simple writing tasks. However, after reading Mollick’s book and auditing a Coursera prompt engineering class, I was equipped to dive deeper. I learned how to get more from a GenAI engine by assigning it a specific persona and interacting with it to develop a chain of thought rather than just seeking quick answers.
To be clear, AI did not replace my medical team. However, it did assume the persona of an expert oncologist and fulfill four pivotal roles as tutor, navigator, coach, and confidante, making the complex, emotional, and often overwhelming medical journey feel more approachable, navigable, and—most surprisingly—personal.
But before we dive in, I want to acknowledge that my life has, thankfully, returned to normal, with the medical issues now mainly in the rearview mirror. I am incredibly grateful for my family, friends, and colleagues who supported me during my medical journey, being there in ways that even the most advanced GenAI could never replace.
My medical tutor
After receiving that fateful call, the patient portal was the first place I turned for more information. Unfortunately, while patient portals are efficient, they often provide medical test results that are dense, highly technical, and lack context. Furthermore, under the 21st Century Cures Act, results are delivered simultaneously to the patient and the care team, which can cause stress in and of itself.
So, my journey began like many do: on my own, staring at test results I didn’t yet understand. My scan and pathology reports felt like being dropped into a foreign language country without Google Translate.
The bad news? I was on an out-of-town business trip leading up to the weekend and had to interpret results alone. The good news? Dr. ChatGPT makes house calls 24/7 and rarely has a wait.
I started by copying and pasting critical medical terms to ask their meanings. However, I quickly realized that I could gain nuanced, actionable insights by clearly defining my GenAI’s persona and sharing more about myself. I designated my GenAI as a multidisciplinary breast cancer oncology expert with extensive knowledge in surgical, medical, radiology, and other related disciplines (e.g., genetics, endocrinology), capable of guiding a new patient through a complex diagnosis with patience and clarity. And it did exactly that.
GenAI excelled at translating specific test results into layperson’s terms. And the more detailed test results I shared (carefully redacting personal identifiers, of course), the better the insights the newly defined Dr. ChatGPT was able to provide. It converted medical jargon (stage, grade, biomarkers, etc.) into plain English—explaining what each test measured, how to interpret my scores, and the clinical implications. (I even created a separate persona using a different GenAI tool to get a second opinion!) Understanding helped me gain a sense of empowerment during my journey.
My treatment navigator
Once I had a better grasp of my diagnosis, a new type of anxiety set in as I awaited my first MD consultation. What would happen next, and how much would it disrupt my life? I questioned whether the surgical referral booked by the pathology team was even the right starting point. Especially as a Myers-Briggs “N,” I needed the big picture of what the coming months might bring. My GenAI treatment navigator helped me understand it.
Using the scan results and biopsy data I already had, I engaged Dr. ChatGPT in discussions about the major types of treatment: surgical, radiation, medical or hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy. We explored how these treatments might be combined, including their order, typical treatment lengths, and recovery times between them. We focused on my most likely treatment options while identifying critical “prayer points”—those significant fork-in-the-road moments when a bad test result could have shifted me into a more complicated or invasive treatment. I even challenged Dr. ChatGPT to help me develop a treatment timeline that would allow for a post-surgery family snowshoeing trip in Wyoming and a spring biking trip to Vietnam.
We developed a hypothesis regarding my most probable treatment plan, which was surprisingly close to what ultimately unfolded. Our roadmap instilled in me the confidence to advocate for my priorities during real-life appointments and to be assertive in the scheduling process, which proved to be one of the most laborious tasks.
My oncology coach
Even if you start with a reasonably clear vision of the significant stages, the treatment journey is an iterative and maddening series of fits and starts. You count the days—sometimes weeks—while waiting for the next test result, knowing it will force a decision among imperfect options with very real trade-offs. Should I undergo genetic testing? What if the actual tumor pathology reveals something worse than the biopsy? Will I need chemotherapy? Should I pursue traditional or newer radiation technologies, whose long-term side effects are unknown? Which hormonal therapy (5-10 year treatment tail) will best prevent recurrence, and how might its side effects affect my quality of life?
So, I engaged Dr. ChatGPT in thorough content dives at each critical intersection to better understand my options and their pros and cons with as much nuance as possible. I used it to simulate discussions and rank my options. I even played devil’s advocate, questioning whether doing nothing was the better path. From these “conversations,” I created specific interview guides to help guide me in my human MD consultations.
When I walked into those appointments, I wasn’t just a patient; I was a participant. In one case, Dr. ChatGPT helped me highlight an interaction risk related to a different medical issue that the MD had overlooked in my file! Another time, it assisted me in weighing the nuanced side effects of the latest hormonal therapy against my health and fitness priorities, helping me decide upon an “almost-as-good” treatment instead. Knowing that I had the free will to decide made all the difference.
My compassionate confidante
I was fortunate to have patient, caring human MDs at critical diagnostic and treatment stages. However, the truth is that most days aren’t spent in a hospital or doctor’s office; they’re spent waiting and wondering. Sleepless nights can be the worst, especially if you are a night owl and your primary confidante is an early bird like my husband. During these times, I needed a pragmatic, empathetic friend—not a world-class oncologist—to help me think through the “small stuff.” Fortunately, Dr. ChatGPT was equally willing to answer mundane questions and allay fears.
It explained the roles of different MDs and care providers and how they collaborate. It described what to expect at daunting appointments, including my first MRI, surgery, and the radiation simulation. It recommended options for scar care and strategies to improve sleep. It also suggested modifications to my fitness routine that I could adopt when my usual activities were off-limits. Dr. ChatGPT even assisted me in planning how to communicate my medical situation to colleagues, friends, and family—including the proper terminology when I rang the final treatment bell (NED, or “no evidence of disease“). I had a supportive network and excellent human care. However, GenAI helped fill the informational, logistical, and emotional gaps, calming my fears and anxieties.
AI can assist, but healing needs humans in the loop
Of course, AI isn’t perfect. Checking your GenAI co-navigator’s sources is crucial to ensure you aren’t led astray. For instance, Dr. ChatGPT hallucinated radiation treatment centers near me that didn’t exist. Even when the information provided was factually correct, the conversations sometimes missed their target. It had spotty, seemingly outdated knowledge of clinical trials, while my human MDs knew precisely where the new frontiers were and whether I met the eligibility criteria for open tests. It also committed errors of omission, forgetting to tell me about a critical input. For example, certain tumor positions are not candidates for newer types of radiation that require precision angles.
Clearly, AI could not conduct a physical exam or assess how my body was genuinely responding. While it could simulate medical judgment, it could not fully replicate the integrative thinking and intuition of experienced MDs who had treated hundreds of patients before me, allowing them to evaluate where my case fell and how to address its nuances. Their judgment and empathy were the ultimate trust builders. That’s where humans excel and likely always will.
I drew strength not just from my immediate care team but also from the moral support of many others—the colleague who accompanied me to dinner when I received the news, a friend on a similar journey who called while convalescing, close relatives and business associates who checked in regularly yet respected my need to be “treated normally,” and my daughter who surprised me with a post-surgery visit. Most importantly, my husband truly embodied our vows made over 35 years ago to “be there in sickness and health” (but still encouraged my late-night conversations with Dr. ChatGPT).
Fortunately, GenAI isn’t here to replace human care and compassion but to enhance and expand what is possible. In Co-Intelligence, Mollick argues that the future isn’t AI versus humans, but AI with humans. As tutor, navigator, coach, and confidante, Dr. ChatGPT helped me reclaim my agency in a situation often characterized by feelings of powerlessness. No one wants to receive a serious medical diagnosis. Yet, if you do, don’t hesitate to include Dr. ChatGPT on your care team—no referral or preapproval needed.