Doctors Explain Launches Men’s Cancers AI Assistant

Nairobi, Kenya — 22/09/2025 — Doctors Explain Digital Health Co. LTD. today announced the public launch of its Men’s Health AI Assistant, a focused digital toolkit built to support men and clinicians in identifying early warning signs of prostate, bowel (colorectal) and testicular cancers, understanding screening options, and navigating evidence-based treatment pathways. The Assistant is optimized for contexts with limited specialist capacity and emphasizes clear, culturally sensitive education and actionable triage.

Why this matters

Prostate and colorectal cancers are leading causes of illness among men worldwide. Early detection and timely referral are proven ways to reduce late-stage diagnosis and improve outcomes. In many low- and middle-income settings, barriers such as limited specialist access, low awareness, stigma, and fragmented referral pathways delay diagnosis and treatment. The Men’s Health AI Assistant is designed to reduce those gaps by combining accessible education, risk-stratified triage, and clinician workflow support.

Key benefits

• Early detection & appropriate triage: AI-guided symptom checking and personalized risk assessment flag individuals who need further testing or urgent referral.
• Culturally-aware education: Plain-language content delivered in multiple formats (text, audio, short video and printable summaries) to reach diverse literacy and language needs.
• Clinician support & integration: A secure clinician dashboard supports referral tracking, PSA result logging and follow-up management to reduce loss to follow-up.
• Guideline-aligned recommendations: The Assistant supports shared decision-making around screening and tests (for example, PSA testing vs. digital rectal exam) and emphasizes individualized approaches to minimize overtesting and harms.
• Care navigation: Stage-based treatment summaries, medication interaction checks, and links to referral centers and available trials/support services.

Core features

1. Symptom Checker (AI-assisted): Interactive questionnaire for urinary, bowel and scrotal symptoms that produces a clear triage recommendation (watchful waiting, primary care, PSA/DRE, urgent urology referral).
2. Personalized Risk Assessment: Risk score using age, family history, comorbidities and lifestyle factors; generates printable summaries for clinicians.
3. PSA vs DRE Educational Module: Side-by-side explanation of PSA blood testing and digital rectal exam, including pros/cons and how to discuss screening with a clinician.
4. Visual Analysis (optional): User-consented photo tools for assessing visible testicular abnormalities and guiding self-exam education (educational only; not a diagnostic substitute).
5. Treatment Navigator: Clear, stage-based guidance for local therapy, radiotherapy and systemic therapy options; highlights when precision approaches or specialty referral may be appropriate.
6. Medication Interaction Checker & Genetic Flagging: Basic interaction checks relevant to common cancer therapies and prompts to consider genetic referral when family history suggests inherited risk.
7. Clinic Dashboard & Workflow Tools: Secure portal for primary care and specialist teams to monitor screening uptake, referrals and outcomes.

How it works — simple user flow

1. Access the Men’s Health Assistant via web or mobile.
2. Set up a profile (age, sex, family history, location) to tailor guidance.
3. Run the Symptom Checker — answer questions about urine, bowel, weight changes, scrotal lumps, and the Assistant provides an immediate recommendation and next steps.
4. Discuss screening using the PSA vs DRE module to support shared decision-making with a clinician.
5. If needed, book a teleconsult or generate a printable referral and follow the suggested pathway via the Treatment Navigator if a diagnosis or high risk is identified.
6. Clinics can access cohort dashboards to monitor program performance and follow-up.

Evidence & clinical rationale (summary)

• Early detection and appropriate triage reduce the proportion of men diagnosed at late stages, which improves treatment options and outcomes.
• Shared decision-making about screening (PSA testing, DRE) helps align testing with individual values and risk, minimizing unnecessary harms from overdiagnosis.
• Precision medicine (genomic-informed therapies) is changing treatment for subsets of advanced prostate cancer; flagging high-risk patients for specialist referral can provide access to targeted options where indicated.
• Practical integration with existing clinic workflows and low-bandwidth educational formats increases the likelihood of adoption in resource-constrained settings.

Quote

“Digital tools that combine culturally sensitive education with guideline-aligned triage can shorten the time from symptom onset to care — especially where specialist access is limited,” said Dr. Levi Cheptora, CEO, Doctors Explain. “Our Assistant focuses on practical next steps: educate, triage, refer, and support clinicians to close care gaps.”

Launch, availability & partnerships

• Availability: The Men’s Health AI Assistant is available now on Doctors Explain’s platform (web and mobile).
• Localization & access: Multilingual support and low-data modes are included to support wider reach in rural and urban communities.
• Partnership plans: The company aims to collaborate with public health agencies, research institutions, NGOs and regional referral centers to run targeted screening campaigns, mobile outreach and implementation evaluations.
• Evaluation: Impact will be monitored using key metrics such as screening uptake, referral completion rates, stage at diagnosis and time-to-treatment.

Clinician FAQ — Prostate & Bowel Screening (concise, evidence-aware)

1) PSA vs DRE — what’s their current role?

• PSA is the primary blood marker used for population screening/early detection pathways and is the test most guideline bodies recommend discussing with patients in the 55–69 age band as an individualized choice. Routine PSA screening outside an individualized/shared-decision context is generally not recommended for men ≥70. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org
• DRE can identify palpable abnormalities (asymmetric nodules, induration) and still has a role as an adjunct in symptomatic patients or when clinical suspicion remains despite a “normal” PSA. However, DRE’s sensitivity for early, clinically significant cancers is limited and it is no longer relied on as a stand-alone screening test. Use DRE selectively (symptoms, abnormal PSA, high-risk patient) rather than as mass screening. PMC+1

2) Who to offer/consider PSA screening to, and how to approach decisions?

• Offer an individualized shared-decision discussion for men aged roughly 55–69 (discuss benefits/harms, life expectancy, comorbidity, patient values). For men at higher baseline risk (first-degree relative with prostate cancer, Black/African ancestry, known pathogenic variant) consider earlier discussion and referral to shared decision pathways. For men with limited life expectancy screening is usually not appropriate. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org

3) Abnormal PSA — practical next steps (typical clinical pathway)

• Confirm with repeat PSA (same lab, same preanalytic conditions) and consider PSA density/PSA velocity if available.
• If PSA remains elevated or clinical suspicion persists, consider reflex mpMRI (if available) and targeted biopsy pathways or urology referral per institutional protocol. Use patient comorbidity and life expectancy to guide invasive diagnostics. (Refer to local/urology specialty guidance on thresholds and mpMRI/biopsy sequencing.) American Urological Association

4) Bowel (colorectal) cancer screening — who & how often?

• For average-risk adults many major bodies now recommend starting screening in mid-adulthood (guideline details vary by country and resource setting). Available accepted strategies include high-sensitivity stool tests (FIT annually or as locally recommended; multi-target stool DNA typically every ~3 years) and structural exams (colonoscopy every ~10 years if normal). Choose a method that aligns with patient preference, program capacity, and availability of timely colonoscopy for positive results. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org+1
• For higher-risk patients (personal history of polyps, IBD, family history, genetic syndromes) follow specialist algorithms with earlier and/or more frequent colonoscopy.

5) Positive stool test or suspicious symptom — immediate steps

• Any positive FIT or stool-DNA must prompt timely diagnostic colonoscopy (not repeat stool test). Symptoms such as rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, persistent change in bowel habit, or iron-deficiency anemia warrant urgent diagnostic evaluation regardless of screening status. American Cancer Society+1

6) Practical points for implementation in low-resource settings

• Prioritize stool-based screening (FIT) where colonoscopy capacity is limited, because FIT is inexpensive and scalable — but ensure systems to complete colonoscopy after positive tests. Train primary care teams in shared-decision conversations for PSA and in symptom recognition/referral for colorectal symptoms. Monitor program metrics: screening uptake, follow-up colonoscopy completion, stage at diagnosis. CDC

Public FAQ — Plain English (for patients / community)

1) What is a PSA? What is a DRE (digital rectal exam)? Which one do I need?

• PSA is a simple blood test that measures prostate-specific antigen. It can help find prostate changes that sometimes (but not always) mean cancer.
• DRE is a short physical exam where a clinician feels the prostate through the rectum to check for lumps or hard areas.
• For most men, the PSA blood test is the main screening tool discussed. A DRE may still be used if you have symptoms (like trouble urinating, blood, or pain) or if your doctor is worried despite a normal PSA. Discuss options with your clinician — the decision should match your age, health, and what matters to you. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org+1

2) At what age should I be screened for prostate cancer?

• Many clinicians suggest talking about PSA testing between about 55 and 69 years old — not everyone should get the test automatically. For men with higher risk (family history, Black/African ancestry) the conversation may start earlier. For men with serious other health problems or short life expectancy, screening is often not helpful. Talk with your clinician about your personal risk. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org

3) How do I screen for bowel (colorectal) cancer, and when?

• There are two common approaches: a stool test you do at home (FIT) or a colonoscopy done in a clinic. Stool tests are done more often (usually every year) and a positive result means you will need a colonoscopy for a closer look. Colonoscopy is often repeated every 10 years if everything is normal. Many countries now recommend people at average risk start screening in their mid-40s to mid-50s — follow your local health service advice. If you have a family history or symptoms, you may need to start earlier. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org+1

4) What should I do if I get an abnormal test or have symptoms?

• Don’t ignore it. If your stool test is positive or you have warning signs (blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, long-term change in bowel habits, persistent rectal bleeding, or iron deficiency), you should be offered a colonoscopy to find the cause. If a PSA is high, your clinician will talk to you about repeat testing, further tests (imaging or referral), and what those could mean. Prompt follow-up matters because early diagnosis improves treatment options. American Cancer Society+1

5) What are the harms/downsides of screening I should know about?

• Screening can sometimes find slow-growing problems that would never have caused harm (overdiagnosis), and investigations (biopsy, colonoscopy) carry small risks (bleeding, perforation, infection). Treatments can also have side effects. That’s why health professionals emphasize talking about benefits and harms before testing. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org

6) Quick checklist — what you can do right now

• If you’re 45–70 (or in your country’s recommended age range) ask your clinician about bowel and prostate screening.
• If you have symptoms (blood, persistent change in toilet habits, new urinary problems, scrotal lumps, unexplained weight loss, or bone/back pain), seek care promptly.
• If you have a family history of prostate or colorectal cancer, advise your clinician — you may need earlier or more frequent checks.

Contact / Media

Doctors Explain Digital Health Co. LTD.
Email: info@doctorsexplain.net
Website: www.doctorsexplain.net