Fox Health: Woman says ChatGPT saved her life by helping detect cancer, which doctors missed

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Woman says ChatGPT saved her life by helping detect cancer, which doctors missed

Lauren Bannon, a North Carolina mother, says ChatGPT saved her life by flagging her medical condition after doctors missed it. She shares how the AI chatbot led to her cancer diagnosis.
                       
                       
                           

A mother of two credits ChatGPT for saving her life, claiming the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login chatbot flagged the condition leading to her cancer when doctors missed it.

Lauren Bannon, who divides her time between North Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands, first noticed in Feb. 2024 that she was having trouble bending her fingers in the morning and evening, as reported by Kennedy News and Media.

After four months, the 40-year-old was told by doctors that she had You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, despite testing negative for the condition.

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Bannon, who owns a marketing company, then began experiencing excruciating stomach pains and lost 14 pounds in just a month, which doctors blamed on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.

Desperate to pinpoint the cause of her symptoms, Bannon turned to ChatGPT, the large-language model made by OpenAI.

The chatbot told Bannon that she may have Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to become inflamed and eventually underactive, according to Kennedy News and Media.

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Despite reservations from her doctor, Bannon insisted on being tested for the condition in Sept. 2024 — and was shocked to discover that ChatGPT was correct, despite the absence of any family history.

This prompted doctors to perform an ultrasound of her thyroid, when they discovered two small lumps in her neck that were You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login in Oct. 2024.

Bannon claimed she would never have found the hidden cancer without the help of ChatGPT, which she credits for helping to save her life.

"I felt let down by doctors," said Bannon, as Kennedy News and Media reported. "It was almost like they were just trying to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login for anything to get you in and out the door."

"I needed to find out what was happening to me," she also said. "I just felt so desperate. I just wasn't getting the answers I needed."

Bannon said she had been You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login for work. When she asked the chatbot about which medical conditions mimic rheumatoid arthritis, it answered, "You may have Hashimoto's disease, ask your doctor to check your thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) levels."

After her cancer diagnosis in Jan. 2025, Bannon underwent an operation to remove her thyroid and two lymph nodes from her neck. She will remain under lifelong monitoring to ensure that the cancer doesn't return, according to the report.

Since she didn't present with typical symptoms of Hashimoto's disease, Bannon believes her condition, and her subsequent You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, would have remained undetected without the help of ChatGPT.

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"I didn't have the typical symptoms of Hashimoto's disease — I wasn't tired or feeling exhausted," she said, per Kennedy News and Media.

"If I hadn't looked on ChatGPT, I would've just taken the rheumatoid arthritis medication and the cancer would've spread from my neck to everywhere else."

"It saved my life. I would've never discovered this without ChatGPT. All my tests were perfect."

Bannon is encouraging others to use the chatbot to investigate their own You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, but to "act with caution."

"If it gives you something to look into, ask your doctors to test you," she suggested. "It can't do any harm. I feel lucky to be alive."

Dr. Harvey Castro, a board-certified emergency medicine physician and national speaker on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login based in Dallas, Texas, said he welcomes the role of AI tools like ChatGPT in raising awareness and prompting faster action, but also urges caution.

"AI is not a replacement for human medical expertise," Castro, who was not involved in Bannon's care, told Fox News Digital. "These tools can assist, alert and even comfort — but they can't diagnose, examine or treat."

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"When used responsibly, AI can enhance healthcare outcomes — but when used in isolation, it can be dangerous," the doctor went on. "We must prioritize patient safety and keep licensed medical professionals at the center of care."

Fox News Digital reached out to OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, for comment.

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