Things to know when you get cancer
- ID
- 35588
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 15 Oct 2026, 3:26 AM
- Fetched
- 15 Oct 2026, 5:06 PM
- Provider
- Hacker News
- Category
- dev-community
- Original URL
- https://jjmaxwell4.com/writing/things-to-know-when-you-get-cancer/
- Source URL
- https://hnrss.org/best
Summary
- Score
- 3.0
- Created
- 15 Oct 2026, 5:07 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- developersai_agent_users
What happened
JJ Maxwell, diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth in May 2026, shares a 2026 edition of lessons: be persistent with scheduling and call back for cancellations, push for comprehensive genetic testing, consult NCCN standard-of-care flowcharts, and get a second opinion plus a pathology re-read at a top cancer center. He also notes that most AI models he chatted with downplayed his symptoms by saying he likely did not have cancer, and describes using AI to summarize dictated appointment notes and generate follow-up questions. The Hacker News thread drew 1,310 points and 322 comments.
Why it matters
The directly reusable tech lesson is caution with LLM risk calibration: the author says models reassured him he did not have cancer while he had a confirmed malignancy, so do not use a chatbot as a diagnostic filter. His AI note-taking loop—dictate after appointments, ask AI to summarize and draft next questions—is a concrete pattern for high-stakes personal records, but it should not replace specialist second opinions or pathology review.
Discussion angle
What should an AI agent do when a user describes a potentially serious symptom—ask clarifying questions, refuse reassurance, or escalate—and how would you test for that failure mode?