AI saved my life - it caught my breast cancer before the human eye would be able to detect it and I've made a full recovery

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A woman who had her life saved by AI technology has revealed how her breast cancer was caught before the 'human eye could detect it' in a medical trial. 

Yvonne Cook was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2023 after an experimental AI flagged a potential abnormality that otherwise would have gone undetected.

Yvonne, who joined Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning, revealed how she had been part of the AI study, which utilises AI to detect areas that could be linked to breast cancer before it can clearly be distinguished. 

Joining Professor Gerald Lip, the clinical director of the North East of Scotland Breast Screening Programme, Yvonne revealed how she made a full recovery after her cancer was spotted early. 

She told Ben, 51, and Cat, 49, on Thursday (March 26): 'I was called for a routine appointment, and there was some information that an AI research programme was running and that I could opt out if I wanted to.

'When I arrived there was a large posted saying I could opt out, and just to let a member of staff know, but it didn't really occur to me at all to opt out as I think it's always good to take part in medical research programmes if you can. 

A woman who had her life saved by AI technology has revealed how her breast cancer was caught before the 'human eye could detect it' in a medical trial

Yvonne Cook was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2023 after an experimental AI flagged a potential abnormality that otherwise would have gone undetected (pictured: Yvonne and Professor Gerald Lip)

'I thought, "I've got nothing to lose", and then I received a recall letter, it was quite vague and gentle saying that potentially it could have been difficult to read.

'The appointment was with Dr Gerald and he explained the use of AI in the screening of the mammogram had thrown up something that couldn't be detected by the human eye, and he did a scan and confirmed that I had a small grade two tumour.

'It was a very early stage, and biopsy was taken to confirm the type of cancer.

'Gerald explained it was the AI part that had picked it up, and I just had a really, really positive reaction, I felt very grateful that my mammogram coincided with the period of the research and that AI had picked it up. 

'I just felt very lucky, and it was a very positive mindset from the start and I maintained that throughout the treatment.'

Yvonne went on to be treated for the cancer, and has now had 'two green lights' and is clear of cancer following the early detection by the AI model.

She added: 'The treatment was less significant than I had imagined, it was a lumpectomy, a small slit and the tumour removed, and one week of low-dose radiotherapy.

'I felt very lucky, if the tumour hadn't been picked up at that time, at that very early stage, then potentially it would have been a routine mammogram a very years later and could have been a very different story.

'It could have involved chemotherapy and a much bigger impact on my life, and a much higher cost to the NHS, too.'

Professor Gerald explained of the technology: 'If you pick up something that is less than 15mm, you have a 95% chance of survival over five years, so that's the key part of the breast screening, so show up for your breast screening.

Yvonne joined Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning to talk about her experience

'Now we have AI tools that give us the extra oomph, to help us pick up even more.'

Gerald explained they had tested the AI with mammograms that were deemed 'normal' by the human eye, with the technology picking up on 'extra' areas of potential danger than had been missed. 

'We checked those women [with the AI flagging] and we found 10% more cancers in the women, including Yvonne's one,' he added. 

'Yvonne's cancer was a lobular type cancer, these are the nasty ones because they hide among the breast tissue, it's much harder to find and invasive. There are some types that the AI was good at seeing.'

Gerald explained that the research, which was carried out in Scotland, was the first of its type in the UK, and the trial is now being rolled out wider across the UK. 

He added: 'The NHS trial, which is going to be 606,000 women across the UK over 30 centres, starting some time this year, as we're setting up the trial.

'That's going to be women across the UK, testing across several AI algorithms as we've got to make sure it's safe. 

'It works for women in Aberdeen, does it work for women in London? We're just going to try it, and it's a very important trial from the UK National Screening Council.' 

Meanwhile, Yvonne concluded: 'I would say when you're called for a routine mammogram, go the appointment, it's important to attend and if you have an opportunity to have a mammogram read by AI, I'm a perfect example of the benefit.'

It comes after a guest on This Morning revealed how watching the show saved her life after the resident health expert issued a warning about the signs of ovarian cancer. 

Dr Nighat Arif was seen on the show in 2023 detailing the seemingly innocuous symptoms of the cancer to viewers as she urged them to get checked if they were displaying any. 

Tuning in to watch the show, Debra Lamb noted that bloating was listed among the symptoms list, something she had been experiencing in recent weeks.

She went on to call her GP and after having some tests, was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer - which saved her life, with Debra, 62, noting waiting even a 'few more weeks' could have killed her. 

Taking to This Morning, Debra was joined by her cousin Sue, 65, and niece Gemma, 35, all of whom tested positive for the BRCA gene, which heightens the risk of breast cancer. 

Eight women in Debra's family were all tested for the gene after it came to light she had the gene during her tests for ovarian cancer - which was prompted by watching the ITV programme. 

A guest on This Morning revealed how watching the show saved her life after the ITV show's health expert issued a warning about the signs of ovarian cancer

Speaking to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley, Debra explained: 'I was just in my living room watching the telly and I see it come up and I thought, "Oh, my stomach was a bit bloated". 

'I'm perfectly healthy, never smoked, and I just thought, well it's bloated but I've go to [check]. I called the GP, got an appointment and had the test, and then three or four days later they called me back saying the [markers were] very high.

'[The markers] should be under 35 and mine was 1,905 - so it was like, this has got to be investigated. Within weeks there were MRIs, ultrasounds, scans, blood tests. 

'And then I was having a nine hour operation to remove all my cancer. It was shocking. It happened so quickly - it was just watching the programme that caught my eye and that was it.'

Detailing her life after the surgery, Debra continued: 'The surgery was really quite touch and go - a long, major, major surgery. Now, I'm on antibiotics for the rest of my life.'

Coming face to face with ITV's Dr Nighat, Debra and the health expert struggled to fight back tears as the doctor was showered with praise. 

'I wouldn't be [here today],' Debra added. 'The surgeons said that it was obviously stage four, and they said a few more weeks, it would've been too late.' 

Since having the surgery on her ovaries, Debra went on to have a check for the BCRA gene, given her mother had passed away from breast cancer in 2018. 

Debra Lamb, who was diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer after watching the show, met with Dr Nighat during the segment

It wasn't just Debra who flagged on a positive test, but her cousin Sue and her niece Gemma - with Sue already having early stage breast cancer and Gemma needed preventative surgery. 

Giving Debra a hug, the duo appeared emotional and held back tears as Dr Nighat said: 'I can't cope - this is why we do the health items on This Morning. 

'It validates all that medical information that we are seeing in our general practices, and I'm so thankful to the This Morning team, the producers, the researchers. 

'This is my bread and butter. I'm doing this all the time, but I can't really take that credit for any of this because it's my NHS colleagues, it's the staff, it's the oncologist, it's everybody in the NHS, my team here who put those items together. 

'It really does take a village.'

Elsewhere, a pair of heartbroken parents were left fighting back tears recounting how their teenage daughter died from breast cancer, despite doctors telling her the fatal lump she found at the age of 15 wasn't a worry as she would 'grow out of it'.

Mark and Michelle Sneddon took to This Morning to open up about the horrifying diagnostic process for their daughter Isla, who passed away in 2024. 

Isla first found a lump in her breast at 15, and worried mum Michelle took her to the GP to be checked out due to their fears she had developed breast cancer. 

But the worried mother admitted the lump was brushed aside as 'nothing to worry about' and dubbed 'hormonal', with their GP insisting it would 'go away on its own'. 

Two years later, she was recommended for an urgent biopsy by her GP, on suspicion of cancer, but the referral was downgraded due to her age. 

Unfortunately for Isla, she went on to become increasingly unwell and following a holiday in 2024, she was confirmed to have breast cancer that had become so developed, she had only months to live. 

Heartbroken parents were left fighting back tears recounting how their teenage daughter died from breast cancer, despite doctors telling her the fatal lump she found at the age of 15 wasn't a worry and that she would 'grow out of it'

Isla passed away six months after her cancer diagnosis - aged 17 - inspiring her parents to campaign for better recognition of symptoms in young people.

Speaking to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on the ITV breakfast programme, mum Michelle explained: 'When she was 15, she came down the stairs and was like, "I've got a lump", she let me feel her lump and I panicked. 

'It felt really quite large, but I played it down and told her it would be fine, I phoned the doctors and they saw her, but because of her age, seeming fit and healthy...'

Mark chimed in: 'They told her she would grow out of it, they told her that it was hormonal and she would grow out of it - and we feel that was the start of her cancer journey.'

Isla continued with her life as normal for the following years - but when she started to get pain where the lump was in 2024, the teen went back for another investigation. 

Michelle added: 'She did get a biopsy in 2024 and it came back as possible activity - it got downgraded, but they did decide to remove [the lump] because it was large.

'We came back from holiday, we saw the breast consultant and they said they would remove the lump - but then she took ill and she ended up in hospital.'

'Her body was ill, she'd been fighting it and she didn't know,' Michelle continued, as Mark chimed in: 'Because she was so young and healthy, her body had been fighting the cancer. 

Isla passed away six months after her cancer diagnosis - aged 17 - inspiring her parents to campaign for better recognition of symptoms in young people

'We took her to the local hospital, they X-rayed her and saw her heart was full of fluid - they did a procedure there and removed 500ml of fluid, and it came straight back the next day, so they blue-lighted her the next day.

'She was in the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, it's a big hospital, for ten weeks, and we stayed in there for ten weeks with her. In the end she got the cancer diagnosis. 

'From there, we thought, "alright, there's a plan, there's stages, they will tell us what stage she is" but they took us to a side room and they said, "Your daughter is going to die, she has six months to a year to live".'

Holding back tears, Mark continued: 'We were blown away and Isla didn't want to know, she just wanted to live her best life - so we had to put a brave face on and make sure we were always happy. 

'She was getting chemotherapy, she lost all her hair, but she got up every morning and put her wig on, her make-up on, and lived her best life.'

Michelle, breaking down into sobs and dabbing her eyes with a tissue, continued: 'It was just awful, just the most awful thing you can imagine.'

Isla passed away six months after her cancer diagnosis.

The parents feel that if Isla was given a diagnosis for cancer earlier in her life when she first visited the GP with the breast lump, she 'would still be here'. 

Mark and Michelle struggled to hold back their emotions as they spoke about their daughter

Now, Michelle and Mark are campaigning for Isla's Law, which will encourage doctors to investigate cancer in teenagers and children in the same way as adults. 

Mark said: 'She would've still been here, because by the time she got her diagnosis it was two late, the cancer was everywhere - two years, it took... but if there was an early intervention.

'We feel that a child should be treated as the same as an adult - we want the next Isla, because nothing will help us, but we want the next Isla to have a fighting chance that our Isla never got.

'Probably 99% of children in Isla's case would grow out of it but the 1%, that's who we want to help, because it was shocking - we can't get over it, we will never get over it, and we are just lost without her.' 

Hitting out at NHS staff, the couple continued: 'They hide behind the guidelines, they are happy they have done everything within the guidelines.'

Jess's Rule is already in place in England - which promotes patient safety by urging GP's to 'think again' or re-evaluate a diagnosis if the patient has seen them three times with the same or worsening symptoms. 

Named after Jessica Brady, who died form an undiagnosed cancer, the rule encourages GPs to consider further testing, peer review or specialist referrals to stop conditions like cancer from being missed in young people. 

Isla's Law would do the same in Scotland, if passed.  

Unfortunately for Isla, she went on to become increasingly unwell and following a holiday in 2024, she was confirmed to have breast cancer that had become so developed, she had only months to live

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'Beautiful' girl, 17, died after doctors dismissed breast cancer as 'hormonal changes'

Michelle and Mark's petition on Change.org has attracted over 35,000 signatures, and the family will be meeting with Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray next month to discuss their concerns.

Health secretary Neil Gray told STV: 'I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the family of Isla Sneddon for their very sad loss.

'I will be meeting with her family next week to further discuss their petition and concerns.

'We published updated Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer on August 6, which include a new children and young person's referral guideline.

'These will help to ensure the right person is on the right pathway at the right time.'

Arwel Williams, NHS Lanarkshire's director of acute services, said: 'Our team have been responding to the family's concerns through correspondence and face to face meetings and we have reassured the family that Isla's treatment was in line with expected clinical pathways.

'However, we fully recognise how devastating this has been to the family and our thoughts and sincere sympathies remain with them.

'We continue to engage with the family and will provide any further support we can.'

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.