CancerBot: How AI Is Revolutionizing Cancer Trial Matching in 2025
Adam Blum
May 13, 2025
The stark reality facing cancer patients today goes beyond their diagnosis. While over 14,000 cancer clinical trials actively recruit participants worldwide, only about 3-5% of adult cancer patients ever enroll in these potentially life-saving opportunities. This disconnect represents one of the most significant yet underappreciated challenges in oncology care.
Countless patients discover potential clinical trial options too late in their treatment journey. By the time many learn about relevant trials, they've often already started treatment regimens that disqualify them from participation. The missed opportunities are especially devastating when standard therapies prove ineffective.
This scenario plays out daily across healthcare institutions. In 2023 alone, the National Cancer Institute reported that approximately 1.9 million Americans received a new cancer diagnosis. Among these, breast cancer remains one of the most common diagnoses, with approximately 300,000 new cases annually, creating substantial demand for innovative treatment approaches including clinical trials. Yet despite tremendous scientific advances, the pipeline between innovative research and patient access remains critically broken.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States, with the American Cancer Society estimating 609,820 cancer deaths in 2023. Among the most prevalent cancers, blood cancers like multiple myeloma and follicular lymphoma present unique challenges due to their complex biology and variable treatment responses.
Studies from the Commission on Cancer show the overall patient participation rate in cancer treatment trials is only 7.1%. This rate varies dramatically by institution type—21.6% at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers but dropping to just 4.1% at community cancer programs where most Americans receive treatment. Breast cancer patients face unique challenges in finding appropriate clinical trials, with studies showing that despite high incidence rates, only about 5% of breast cancer patients participate in clinical trials, below the already low overall average.

The consequences of this low participation are dire:
Trials struggle to reach minimum enrollment targets (with 40% failing to do so)
Research is delayed by months or years
Critical questions about treatment efficacy remain unanswered
Potential breakthrough therapies take longer to reach patients
Oncology experts consistently note that barriers to clinical trial access have real consequences for treatment development. When trials fail to enroll enough participants, valuable time is lost in advancing new therapies. These delays directly impact patients who might have benefited from novel approaches but never get the opportunity.
Why Finding Clinical Trials Is So Difficult
The complexity of matching patients to clinical trials stems from multiple factors:
Information Overload: Clinicians must sift through thousands of trials with complex eligibility requirements
Time Constraints: Physicians have limited time to research trial options during patient visits
Geographical Barriers: Patients may be unaware of trials outside their immediate treatment center
Restrictive Eligibility Criteria: Many trials have unnecessarily strict requirements that exclude otherwise suitable candidates
Limited Resources: Many community oncology practices lack dedicated staff for trial matching
Specific Requirement: Breast cancer trials often have specific requirements regarding hormone receptor status (ER/PR), HER2 expression, and prior treatments that can be difficult to match manually.
Practicing oncologists frequently report that time limitations make thorough trial searches virtually impossible. With patient loads of 20-25 daily appointments, manually searching for trials with their complex inclusion and exclusion criteria becomes an impractical task without specialized tools.
Patients face their own challenges in navigating this landscape. A 2023 survey of cancer patients revealed their top barriers to trial participation:
67% feared reduced quality of life
59% worried about receiving a placebo
51% were concerned about potential side effects
43% didn't understand the trial process
Enter CancerBot: AI-Powered Trial Matching
CancerBot represents a paradigm shift in addressing this critical gap. This artificial intelligence platform uses state of the art AI to match cancer patients with appropriate clinical trials globally, based on their specific diagnosis, biomarkers, treatment history, and personal parameters.
Unlike manual searches that can take 25-30 minutes per trial, CancerBot can screen a patient against thousands of trials in seconds, dramatically increasing the likelihood of finding an appropriate match.
How CancerBot Works
The CancerBot system operates through several interconnected processes:

Data Integration: The system ingests and standardizes clinical trial data from multiple global registries and numerous country-specific databases.
Patient Profile Creation: Patients or healthcare providers input key information such as:
Demographic details (age, weight, location)
Specific cancer diagnosis and staging
Biomarker and genetic testing results
Prior treatment history
Current medications
Comorbidities
AI-Powered Matching: CancerBot's proprietary algorithms analyze:
Structured eligibility criteria across thousands of trials
Unstructured data in clinical notes and pathology reports
Geographic proximity and travel considerations
Trial enrollment status and timelines
The technical foundation of the platform combines natural language processing, machine learning to decode complex eligibility criteria.
Why to try CancerBot: Quick & Simple
Looking for a clinical trial can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack—especially when you're already dealing with a serious diagnosis. Most patients don't even know where to begin, and those who do often get overwhelmed by endless lists, medical jargon, and eligibility fine print.
CancerBot changes that.
It’s not just another directory or static form. It’s an intelligent companion that asks the right questions, listens, and delivers trial options tailored to you. No technical know-how required.

Here's how it works — without the fluff:
You answer a few straightforward questions about your diagnosis, treatment history, and health.
Behind the scenes, CancerBot’s AI scans thousands of active trials around the world.
Within minutes, you’ll see a list of personalized options — some of which you likely wouldn’t find through traditional methods.
CancerBot doesn’t just skim the surface — it digs into what really matters for eligibility. It’s not about speed for the sake of speed. It’s about reducing decision fatigue in a moment when every second feels heavy. CancerBot gives you back time and clarity—two things no one can afford to waste during treatment.
If it helps you discover even one more option that fits, that’s one more chance you might not have had otherwise.
Why CancerBot Succeeds Where Others Failed
Clinical oncology has struggled for decades with the persistent challenge of matching patients to appropriate trials. Despite numerous technological attempts, the gap between available trials and patient enrollment remains substantial. CancerBot represents a fundamental advancement in addressing this challenge, primarily through its shift from simplistic keyword matching to genuine contextual understanding.
Analyze combinations of biomarkers (e.g., TP53 mutation plus low albumin plus prior CAR-T exposure)
Evaluate trial viability not just by disease, but by molecular pathway, comorbidity tolerance, and even geographic practicality
In a field where days can matter, tools that reduce complexity, widen access, and learn continuously aren’t just innovative — they’re essential.
Focus on Blood Cancer Clinical Trials
CancerBot has shown particular promise in matching patients with blood cancer trials, specifically for conditions like multiple myeloma and follicular lymphoma—diseases where trial participation historically lags behind solid tumors.
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells that form in bone marrow, affects approximately 35,000 new patients annually in the United States. Despite advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate remains around 55%, highlighting the urgent need for more effective therapies.
Similarly, follicular lymphoma, a common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, affects about 15,000 Americans yearly. While generally slow-growing, it remains largely incurable with conventional treatments, making clinical trial access particularly valuable.
CancerBot's specialized focus on blood cancer trials addresses several unique challenges:
Biomarker Integration: The system incorporates complex molecular profiles and cytogenetic abnormalities common in blood cancers
Treatment History Analysis: Accounts for previous lines of therapy, stem cell transplants, and CAR-T cell treatments
Comorbidity Assessment: Evaluates kidney function, blood counts, and organ involvement crucial for blood cancer trial eligibility
Conclusion: Bridging the Gap
The gap between clinical trials and the patients who need them represents one of healthcare's most significant addressable challenges. Every day, potentially life-extending or life-saving treatments remain inaccessible to patients who might benefit from them.
CancerBot demonstrates how artificial intelligence can bridge this gap, connecting patients with opportunities that might otherwise remain undiscovered. By streamlining the matching process, the platform empowers patients and clinicians alike to make more informed treatment decisions.
The most heartbreaking aspect of the current system is the frequency with which patients express regret about options they discovered too late. With tools like CancerBot, the oncology community is working toward a future where no cancer patient misses an opportunity for improved care simply because they didn't know it existed.
For the millions facing cancer diagnoses each year, that future can't come soon enough.
FAQ About CancerBot
What exactly is CancerBot?
CancerBot is an AI-powered platform designed to match cancer patients with appropriate clinical trials based on their specific diagnosis, medical history, and personal characteristics. It searches thousands of active clinical trials worldwide and identifies options that align with a patient's unique profile.
How is CancerBot different from just searching clinical trial websites myself?
While you can search sites like ClinicalTrials.gov on your own, these platforms weren't designed with patient-friendly navigation in mind. CancerBot analyzes thousands of trials simultaneously, interprets complex medical terminology and eligibility criteria, and considers your entire medical profile—something that would take hours or even days to do manually. It's like having a clinical trial expert working exclusively on your case.
How do I get started with CancerBot?
You can access CancerBot through its website (www.cancerbot.org). You'll need basic information about your cancer diagnosis (type, stage, biomarkers if known), demographic details (age, gender, location), treatment history, and current medications. The more complete your profile, the more accurate your trial matches will be. Having a copy of your pathology report and recent scan results is very helpful.
How long does it take to get results?
Unlike traditional manual searches that can take days or weeks, CancerBot provides initial trial matches within minutes of completing your profile. These results are continuously updated as new trials open or your medical situation changes.
Why should I consider participating in a clinical trial?
Clinical trials offer several potential benefits:
Access to cutting-edge treatments before they're widely available
More frequent and thorough medical attention during the trial
Contributing to medical knowledge that may help future patients
Potential treatment options when standard therapies haven't worked or have stopped working
How do I discuss clinical trials with my doctor?
Bring your CancerBot results to your next appointment and ask your doctor to review the matches with you. Specific questions you might ask include:
"Do you think any of these trials might be appropriate for my situation?"
"What are the potential benefits and risks of this trial compared to standard treatment options?"
"Have any of your other patients participated in this trial or at this research center?"
"Would participating in this trial require changing my current treatment plan?"
Remember that clinical trials are a standard part of cancer care, and asking about them demonstrates that you're being proactive about your treatment options.
Turning frustration into innovation
After being diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, AI tech entrepreneur Adam Blum assumed he could easily find cutting-edge treatment options. Instead, he faced resistance from doctors and an exhausting search process. Determined to fix this, he built CancerBot—an AI-powered tool that makes clinical trials more accessible, helping patients find potential life-saving treatments faster.