Artificial intelligence has been making headlines in recent years for its growing role in healthcare, especially in advancing the early detection of cancer.
Now, a group of enterprising high school students from Arkansas has stepped into the spotlight by developing an AI-based tool aimed at combating one of the deadlier yet often overlooked forms of the disease: oral cancer.
Addressing a Deadly and Overlooked Health Crisis
Every year, approximately 52,000 Americans receive a diagnosis of oral cancer, with more than 12,000 succumbing to the disease, according to the students’ research. The real tragedy lies in the fact that early detection can increase survival rates by as much as 40%. Unfortunately, only about 30% of cases are caught early enough for treatment to be most effective.
These statistics are even grimmer in parts of the country known as “dental deserts,” where access to oral healthcare is scarce. In the students’ home state of Arkansas, for instance, around 90% of the population did not visit a dentist in the past year. In some areas, entire counties lack a single practicing dentist.
“We learned that current diagnosis methods are expensive, intrusive, and often inaccurate, making early detection rare,” explained Veera Unnam, one of the team members from Bentonville West High School.
An Ingenious AI App Built for Accessibility
In response to these alarming realities, the students developed Oral Scan, an innovative and accessible app that utilizes artificial intelligence to detect signs of oral cancer from a simple smartphone photograph. The app boasts an impressive 82% success rate in identifying potential tumors, and if evidence of a tumor is detected, the AI can even determine its stage with an 87% accuracy rate.
While 82% falls slightly below the benchmark most medical ethicists recommend for entrusting AI with cancer diagnosis, it represents a significant improvement for regions like Arkansas, where the current detection rate is effectively zero for those without access to dental care.
What sets Oral Scan apart is its affordability and ease of use. Each scan through the app costs just 50 cents and delivers a result in a swift 15 seconds. The team intentionally designed the app to be compatible with both Apple and Android devices, ensuring it would be accessible not only to people in their local community but potentially worldwide.
National Recognition Through Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow
Recently, the Oral Scan team entered their creation in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition — a program designed to encourage public school students in grades 6-12 to address pressing issues in their communities through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) innovation.
Each finalist school in the competition is awarded $50,000 in Samsung technology and resources, with an opportunity to compete in a live pitch event in Washington, D.C., on April 28th. Three national winners will receive $100,000 in prizes, and an additional award will be given to a Community Choice winner.
As the program celebrates its 15th year, Samsung has so far donated over $27 million in technology and supplies to nearly 4,000 public schools across the United States. The students behind Oral Scan are hopeful that their project will earn them a spot among this year’s winners.
A Bright Future for a Life-Saving Innovation
Even before the final winners are announced, the Oral Scan team’s invention is already gaining national attention. The students have been invited to present their work at medical conferences, further proving the significance of their achievement.
What began as a high school STEM project has the potential to become a powerful tool in the global fight against oral cancer, offering affordable, rapid, and effective early detection where it’s needed most.
As Unnam and his team continue to push forward, their story stands as a testament to how young minds, armed with technology and compassion for their communities, can make a meaningful difference in the world.
Watch these high schoolers pitch their brilliant idea that won.
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