Recent Advances in Medicine
By dhruv sonavane | Sept. 1, 2026
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA) — A world where a physician can destroy cancerous cells using a particle accelerator or conduct surgery on a patient with the help of an artificial intelligence assistant may seem like an experience out of a sci-fi movie; however, this is becoming a part of our reality every day. As the worldwide medical community has made groundbreaking advancements, new developments have increased the effectiveness of medical treatment and laid a foundation for research and technologies in the future.
Leading establishments such as Mayo Clinic, UF Health, and Baptist Health have cemented Jacksonville, Fla. as a hub of innovative medical technologies and treatments. These advancements have not only been beneficial for physicians and medical researchers, but also inspired students in the local community. At Stanton College Preparatory School, numerous students are studying to pursue a career in the health care field and may work with these technologies and treatments in the future.
Of the recent advancements in medicine, the utilization of artificial intelligence has had a notable influence on healthcare, especially in the field of radiology. Radiologists are physicians who diagnose and treat medical conditions through X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography scans. According to Illinois WorkNet, a system developed by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide career planning resources to the public, radiologists often work under high stress, which increases the risk of burnout and compromises patient evaluations. To combat this issue, AI systems have been trained to diagnose diseases by analyzing MRI, X-ray, and CT scan images. A study published in Nature in 2020 by researcher Scott McKinney and his colleagues shows an experimental AI system outperformed six radiologists in correctly diagnosing breast cancer. In 2026, the integration of AI in health care continues to rapidly increase. Some physicians like Dr. Richard D. White, a diagnostic radiologist at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, believe AI is improving medical diagnosis.
“I think [AI] is showing clear evidence of making us better radiologists by helping us identify things that maybe we can’t appreciate by the human eye, such as [in] X-rays,” Dr. White, who has specialized training in non-invasive cardiovascular imaging and AI in imaging, said.
Dr. White is currently researching how AI models can analyze heart X-rays to predict diabetes and obesity. These models can also track the impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 fat-loss therapies, such as Ozempic, on overall heart health. This application of AI in medicine could have a major impact on the public; obesity prevalence in most countries has been increasing since the 1980s and is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, as recorded by the American Heart Association Journals. Sophomore Mithra Vasanthan saw AI being used for a different purpose when she shadowed a cardiothoracic surgeon at a Hospital Corporation of America Florida Memorial Hospital during the summer of 2026.
“I saw AI being used to analyze patient data, and it was [an additional] factor that could help the physician,” Vasanthan said.
Beyond assisting in patient data analysis and diagnoses, new medical technologies are also making cancer treatment more effective. The World Health Organization reports that cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, killing around 10 million people every year. Surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation therapy are examples of standard cancer treatments; their use is widespread, but they have limitations. These treatments often negatively impact healthy areas of the body and are not always effective at treating cancer, according to a study published in Discover Oncology in 2025 by Aasma Zafar and her colleagues. In recent times, new types of targeted treatments for cancer are providing promising alternatives to the traditional methods of treating cancer.
A study published in 2017 in Experimental Biology and Medicine by William Slikker Jr. details how unique proteins and genetic traits in cancerous tumor cells are known as biomarkers. They can allow doctors to learn more about the specific tumor and conduct a personalized treatment for patients. Dr. Ninad Patil, a gynecologic pathologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, noted that new cancer treatments are being developed to target these biomarkers.
“We can find certain biomarkers in tumor cells, and a drug can be attached to an antibody, find those cancer cells using the biomarker, and [the drug is] directly injected into that particular cancer cell and spares surrounding healthy cells,” Dr. Patil said.
A revolutionary development in targeted cancer treatment is chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, also known as CAR T-cell therapy. According to the American Cancer Society, in CAR T-cell therapy, doctors can extract a patient’s immune cells, reprogram them to target cancerous biomarkers, and reinfuse them into the body to attack cancer cells. These targeted therapies show how cancer treatment is developing to become more efficient and have fewer negative side effects on patients.
Breakthroughs in radiation therapy have allowed for new treatment approaches that include extreme precision and high-quality treatment standards. A study from the Journal of Clinical Oncology notes that radiation therapy in the past has used broad-spectrum exposure, which can be harmful to healthy tissues. Modern techniques allow medical teams to target radiation beams at tumors with millimeter-level precision, reducing damage to the healthy tissues surrounding a tumor. At the same time, new technology continues to be integrated to automate and refine the radiation therapy process. The World Journal of Radiology reported new radiotherapy platforms can use real-time imaging, motion tracking, and AI workflows. These radiotherapy systems help doctors create more effective treatment plans for patients.
The use of cancer radiation therapy has become widespread in Jacksonville. According to University of Florida Health, the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville has been in operation for nearly 20 years, treating more than 13,000 patients and 20 types of cancer. The institute uses proton beam therapy, a specific type of radiation therapy, to treat cancer. Proton beam therapy works by separating protons from hydrogen atoms using a particle accelerator and directing a beam of protons at a tumor to damage cancer cells, according to John Hopkins Medicine. The UF Proton Therapy Institute continues to serve as an example for cutting-edge medical treatment in the nation. Cancer treatment in Jacksonville will continue to develop with the establishment of additional types of radiation therapies in hospitals. Mayo Clinic Magazine announced that a new carbon-ion therapy center at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville will open for patients in 2028. The center will offer both proton and carbon-ion therapy, with the carbon-ion therapy being used to treat the most aggressive types of cancer. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated on Jan. 15, 2026 this will be the first carbon-ion therapy center in the Western Hemisphere.
Medical research has been conducted by Stanton students, which allows them to develop their passion for medicine. Junior Anish Jawalkar is a part of the Mayo Clinic Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge, where he researched silencing the keratin-17 gene in kidney cancer—a gene that programs cancer cells to reproduce faster and migrate to other parts of the body. Jawalkar says that his research was a challenging yet rewarding experience, and now he has aspirations to work in the medical field.
“As a researcher, I would like to cure kidney cancer in the future [because] I’ve been connected with it at [Mayo SPARK],” Jawalkar said.
Traditionally, surgeons perform procedures by making large incisions to directly access organs and tissue. This method is referred to as open surgery. Integris Health notes this practice is considered highly invasive, potentially leading to longer recovery times, higher pain levels, and more long-term scarring and physical damage.
To provide a better alternative to open surgery, robotic surgery has been greatly developed in the medical field. According to the American College of Surgeons, the da Vinci Surgical System has been used for over 12 million robotic surgery operations, and more than 60,000 surgeons worldwide have been trained to use it. Robotic surgery requires much smaller incisions, provides faster recovery times, and leads to less pain and bleeding. Dr. Ruchira Singh is a urogynecologic surgeon at the University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Fla. She believes these robots are beneficial because they can act as an assistant for the surgeon, allow for improved dexterity and movement during the operation, and provide a better view of the surgical site.
“In the past, we used to have a 2D visualization from a screen…but now with the robot, we can have a 3D visualization. The visualization is better, and that can help the surgeon tremendously in certain types of surgeries,” Singh said.
The most recent advancement in surgery has been the integration of AI, which is currently in its initial development stages. In the future, AI systems could help surgery teams by providing vital information and coordination during an operation. According to an article published in Nature this year by Ege Özsoy and his colleagues, an AI model called Operating Room Question Answering (ORQA) has been developed to understand auditory and visual data in an operating room and assist surgeons in real-time. As research on AI in surgery continues to expand, new technologies like ORQA will be developed.
Students at Stanton also develop new medical technologies and plan to enter the medical field in the future. Senior Prapti Paladagula is a part of the SPARK Research Mentorship Program at Mayo Clinic. She developed an experimental formula for the coronavirus vaccine which allows it to be stored in a freeze-dried powder form, making the vaccine accessible for more people. This experience has provided her with insight into her potential future as a physician.
“Before I was interested in medicine, I only thought that being a clinical doctor was the way, but doing research has definitely shown me that you can go the Ph.D. route,” Paladagula said.
Medicine will continue to see rapid growth as medical technology and research advance, and while health care remains a vital part of people’s lives. These new advancements are making it increasingly important for the general public to understand modern medicine and the role of physicians in this evolving field. Stanton students continue to learn about changes in health care in order to be informed patients or pursue careers in the medical field. Through constant development, medicine will continue to have a positive influence on society.