Chat GPT 'saves mum's life' after helping uncover hidden cancer missed by doctors
Lauren Bannon grew concerned in February 2024 after noticing that she was struggling to bend her little fingers in the morning and evening.
Lauren Bannon, 40, with husband Shaine Gaspard, 54
(Image: Kennedy News and Media )
A 'desperate' mum determined to discover why she couldn't bend her fingers was stunned when Chat GPT helped diagnose her with cancer. Lauren Bannon grew concerned in February 2024 after noticing that she was struggling to bend her little fingers in the morning and evening.
After four months, the 40-year-old says she was told by doctors she had rheumatoid arthritis despite testing negative for the condition. The mum-of-two then began experiencing excruciating stomach pains - losing a stone in just four weeks in September 2024, which she says doctors put down to acid reflux.
Desperate to discover what was happening to her body, later that month the business owner disclosed her symptoms to AI messaging service Chat GPT, which said she may have Hasimoto's disease. It's an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to become inflamed and eventually underactive.
Article continues below
Despite reservations from her doctor, Lauren insisted she be tested for the condition in September and was shocked to discover that Chat GPT was correct. This prompted doctors to carry out scans of Lauren's thyroid, and discover two small lumps in her neck that were confirmed as cancer in October 2024.
Lauren Bannon, 40, took to social media to share that Chat GPT helped save her life
(Image: Kennedy News and Media )
Lauren, who owns a marketing company, said she would never have found the hidden cancer without the help of Chat GPT - which she credits for helping save her life. Lauren, from Newry, Northern Ireland, but now living between the US Virgin Islands and Wilmington, North Carolina, US, said: "I felt let down by doctors.
"It was almost like they were just trying to give out medication for anything to get you in and out the door. I needed to find out what was happening to me, I just felt so desperate.
"I just wasn't getting the answers I needed. So that's when I pulled up Chat GPT. I already used it for work.
"I started typing what mimics rheumatoid arthritis and it popped up saying 'you may have Hashimoto's disease, ask your doctor to check your thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) levels'. So I went to my doctors and she told me 'I couldn't have that, there was no family history of it' but I said 'just amuse me'."
After a positive test for Hashimoto's disease, Lauren underwent an ultrasound of her thyroid where doctors discovered two cancerous lumps in her neck. In January 2025, Lauren underwent an operation to remove her thyroid and two lymph nodes from her neck but remains under life-long monitoring to ensure the cancer doesn't return.
Lauren Bannon, 40, following an operation to remove her thyroid and lymph nodes after doctors found cancer
(Image: Kennedy News and Media )
Due to not presenting with 'typical' symptoms of Hashimoto's disease, Lauren believes the condition, and subsequent cancer diagnosis, would have remained undetected without the help of Chat GPT. She said: "I didn't have the typical symptoms of Hashimoto's disease, I wasn't tired or feeling exhausted.
Article continues below
"If I hadn't looked on Chat GPT, I would've just taken the rheumatoid arthritis medication and the cancer would've spread from my neck to everywhere else. The doctor said I was very lucky to have caught it so early.
"I know for sure that cancer would've spread without using Chat GPT. It saved my life. I just knew that something was wrong with me. I would've never discovered this without Chap GPT. All my tests were perfect.
"I would encourage others to use Chat GPT with their health concerns, act with caution but if it gives you something to look into, ask your doctors to test you. It can't do any harm. I feel lucky to be alive."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
ServiceNow raises annual subscription revenue forecast on AI-driven tools demand
July 23 (Reuters) - ServiceNow (NOW.N), opens new tab raised its annual subscription revenue forecast on Wednesday, signaling robust demand for its artificial intelligence-enabled software designed to automate digital operations and sending its shares up more than 7% in extended trading. Businesses are widely adopting cloud-based enterprise solutions from vendors including ServiceNow, Salesforce (CRM.N), opens new tab and Freshworks (FRSH.O), opens new tab to streamline operations and boost productivity amid the ongoing AI boom. ServiceNow projected its third-quarter subscription revenue above Wall Street estimates, despite economic uncertainty due to changing U.S. trade policies and Trump administration's cost-cutting measures that led to contract cancellations and delays. The Santa Clara, California-based company, which in March announced the acquisition of AI firm Moveworks for $2.85 billion, said the ongoing budget constraints among U.S. federal agencies are expected to persist through the current quarter. ServiceNow has signed contracts with six new customers in the U.S. public sector, CEO Bill McDermott said in an interview. The company's planned Moveworks acquisition is under regulatory review by the U.S. Justice Department, he added. ServiceNow said it was following the relevant procedures as required and expects the deal to close in the second half of the year or early 2026. The company said that a larger-than-usual number of customer contracts are set to expire and will be renewed in the fourth quarter, adding that this is expected to have a 200 basis points negative impact on its current remaining performance obligations in the third quarter. The company raised its annual subscription revenue forecast to between $12.78 billion and $12.80 billion, compared with its prior expectations of between $12.64 billion and $12.68 billion. Its third quarter subscription revenue forecast of $3.26 billion to $3.27 billion exceeds analysts' average estimate of $3.20 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. ServiceNow's revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter ended June 30 surpassed estimates of $3.12 billion. Adjusted profit per share of $4.09 also beat estimates of $3.57 for the second quarter.
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
Google parent Alphabet beats quarterly revenue estimates, boosts capital spending
July 23 (Reuters) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab beat Wall Street estimates for its second quarter on Wednesday, and cited massive demand for its cloud computing services as it hiked its capital spending plans for the year to about $85 billion. The search giant beat estimates for quarterly revenue and profit on the back of new AI features and a steady digital advertising market. Google Cloud's revenue growth surged nearly 32%, well above estimates for a 26.5% increase. "With this strong and growing demand for our Cloud products and services, we are increasing our investment in capital expenditures." CEO Sundar Pichai said in an earnings release. Shares of the company, which have risen more than 18% since its previous earnings report in April, were down 1% in extended trading. Google had earlier pledged about $75 billion in capital spending this year, part of the more than $320 billion that Big Tech is expected to pour into building AI capabilities. The companies have defended their aggressive AI spending amid rising competition from Chinese rivals and investor frustration with slower-than-expected payoffs, saying those massive investments are necessary to fuel growth and improve their products. Alphabet reported total revenue of $96.43 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, compared with analysts' average estimate of about $94 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Google's advertising revenue, which represents about three-quarters of the tech major's overall sales, rose 10.4% to $71.34 billion in the second quarter, beating expectations for $69.47 billion, according to data from LSEG.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Google parent Alphabet beats quarterly revenue estimates, boosts capex plan
July 23 (Reuters) - Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly revenue on Wednesday on the back of new AI features and a steady digital advertising market, and said it would boost its capital spending plans for the year to about $85 billion. Shares of the company, which have risen more than 18% since its previous earnings report in April, were down 1% in extended trading. Google had earlier pledged about $75 billion in capital spending this year, part of the more than $320 billion that Big Tech is expected to pour into building out AI capabilities. The companies have defended their aggressive AI spending amid rising competition from Chinese rivals and investor frustration with slower-than-expected payoffs, saying those massive investments are necessary to fuel growth and improve their products. Alphabet reported total revenue of $96.43 billion for the second quarter ended June, compared with analysts' average estimate of about $94 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
