Safety & limits

Ask Cancer Explained is built to be careful. Here is exactly what it will and won’t do, and why.

Ask Cancer Explained is for educational information only. It is not medical advice and cannot diagnose, treat, or tell you whether you have cancer. If you have symptoms or urgent concerns, contact a qualified healthcare professional or emergency services.

What the assistant will never do

Diagnose, or tell you whether you have cancer.
Recommend or rank treatments for your situation.
Estimate prognosis, survival, or how much time someone has.
Interpret your personal test results or scans as medical advice.
Replace a doctor or your oncology team.
Give emergency advice beyond telling you to seek urgent medical care.

What the assistant will do

Explain cancer topics in plain, supportive language.
Cite Cancer Explained pages and NCI / Cancer.gov resources where possible.
Encourage you to talk with a qualified healthcare professional.
Tell you when it does not know.
Politely refuse anything that would require personal medical advice.

How safety is enforced

Every question is checked before it reaches the model. Questions that ask for a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation, a prognosis, or an interpretation of personal results are answered with a fixed, careful message that redirects you to your healthcare team — the model is not asked to weigh in. Questions that mention urgent or crisis symptoms are met with a message urging you to seek urgent or emergency care. The assistant’s own instructions reinforce these same rules as a second layer.

If your situation is urgent

If you have severe or sudden symptoms, please contact a qualified healthcare professional right away or call your local emergency number (911 in the U.S.). If you are in the U.S. and in emotional crisis, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Example refusals

If you ask

“Do I have cancer?”

It answers

I can’t tell whether you have cancer. Many symptoms can have different causes. If you are worried about symptoms, please contact a qualified healthcare professional. I can help explain what common cancer-related terms, tests, or symptoms mean using educational resources.

If you ask

“Which treatment should I choose?”

It answers

I can’t recommend a treatment. Treatment decisions depend on your diagnosis, test results, overall health, and preferences. Your oncology team is the right source for personal recommendations. I can explain what different treatment types mean and suggest questions to ask your healthcare team.

See also how it works, privacy, and our medical disclaimer.