Can AI outsmart cancer? Inside Check4Cancer’s vision for early diagnosis 

Artificial intelligence is affecting the way cancer is detected, diagnosed, and treated. What once seemed a futuristic promise is now becoming a practical reality, with AI models assisting clinicians in identifying abnormalities faster and more accurately than ever before. Yet, as Professor Gordon Wishart, Chief Medical Officer and CEO at Check4Cancer, told MedTech World, the conversation around AI in cancer diagnostics is as much about safety and clinical oversight as it is about innovation. 

During a recent trade delegation with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) to Washington DC and Baltimore, Professor Wishart noted that while clinicians, insurers, and healthcare providers in the United States recognise AI as the future of healthcare, questions remain about its autonomous use.

“Clinicians have used new technologies as decision-support tools for more than three decades,” he explained. “Teledermatology, for example, shows how AI can improve and accelerate diagnosis while generating real-world evidence that may eventually lead to safe partial automation.”

Building AI that enhances, not replaces, clinical judgement 

At MedTech Malta 2024, Professor Wishart shared early results from Check4Cancer’s AI model for skin cancer detection. Since then, the company has completed a validation study demonstrating how its model could automate significant parts of the teledermatology triage process—helping healthcare systems tackle both the global rise in skin cancer cases and the shortage of dermatologists. 

A paper detailing how the model combines image analysis with clinical risk scoring has been accepted by Nature Scientific Reports. The findings confirm that AI can safely support clinical workflows when deployed within a structured, monitored teledermatology pathway. 

Check4Cancer has since trademarked its AI model under the name SKINTEL®, introducing what Professor Wishart calls “artificial skintelligence”—a nod to the blend of data, intelligence, and clinical precision driving the project. SKINTEL® has been nominated for the AI in Healthcare Award of the Year at MedTech World Malta 2025, and Check4Cancer’s partnership with the University of Essex is a finalist in the “Changing the World” category at the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership Awards. The company is now working through regulatory processes for certification in the UK, US, and Europe. 

A digital skin cancer pathway 

Check4Cancer’s AI work forms part of a larger vision: creating a fully digital skin cancer pathway. The company is developing a mobile app that enables patients to take high-quality images of suspicious skin lesions from home, which can then be triaged remotely by clinicians as part of the teledermatology process. 

Having completed extensive testing in image capture and user experience, Check4Cancer plans to launch the app commercially by Q1 2026. Together with the SKINTEL® model, the app is designed to expand access to skin cancer diagnosis, particularly in regions where dermatology services are scarce. 

To lead this next phase, Mr. Joseph Walls joined the company as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Digital Skin Cancer Services in September 2025. A teledermatology consultant who has assessed over 100,000 skin lesions since 2013, Mr. Walls brings both clinical depth and digital expertise. His appointment marks an important step toward scaling AI-enabled diagnostic services while maintaining high safety and performance standards. 

Scaling MyCancerRisk® worldwide 

While skin cancer remains a major focus, Check4Cancer continues to expand its broader digital cancer prevention platform—MyCancerRisk®. Launched in 2021, the platform uses an online risk questionnaire to assess an individual’s likelihood of developing six cancers: bowel, breast, cervical, lung, prostate, and skin. Those identified as higher risk are directed toward funded screening, while all users access educational resources through the Cancer Education Hub. 

The platform has been widely adopted by major corporations such as M&S, IBM, and Microsoft, and Vitality rolled it out to members in 2023. So far, over 35,000 individuals have participated, with anonymised data helping employers understand lifestyle-related cancer risk patterns within their workforces. 

Following its success in the UK, Check4Cancer is now exploring international expansion with a multilingual version of MyCancerRisk® for Europe and ongoing discussions with a large multinational company for a global rollout, including opportunities in the United States. 

Looking ahead 

As Check4Cancer continues to bridge AI innovation with clinical practice, Professor Wishart looks forward to returning to MedTech Malta 2025 to share the company’s progress with other founders, innovators, scientists, and funders. If you haven’t booked your ticket for MedTech World Malta 2025, now’s the perfect time to join the global community driving the next era of MedTech innovation.