We marvel at the way Artificial intelligence is pushing the boundaries of possibilities. What once required hours of work is now done in the blink of the eye.
Humankind waited curiously to see if AI could offer breakthroughs in cancer detection that eludes regular scans. That moment may have arrived even though more evidence is needed.
In this trial, AI revealed cancers that might have gone undetected. Perhaps, AI has finally offered a glimpse of a future where technology and human expertise work hand in hand to save lives.
According to reports, AI helped doctors detect more cases of breast cancer in routine scans.
The Swedish researchers behind the study said their findings suggest AI could ease the workload of overburdened radiologists if rolled out in national screening programmes.
The trial is the first completed randomised controlled study examining AI-supported breast cancer screening. Scientists had tested AI on medical scans for years, but this marks the gold standard for evidence in the field.
More than 100,000 women in Sweden received routine breast scans in 2021 and 2022. They were randomly assigned to two groups. One group had scans checked by a single radiologist assisted by an AI system. The other followed standard European practice, with two radiologists reading each scan.
The AI-assisted group detected 9% more cancer cases than the control group. Over the next two years, participants in the AI group also had a 12% lower rate of interval cancers — tumors diagnosed between routine screenings, which can be especially dangerous.
The improvement was consistent across different ages and levels of breast density, both of which are known risk factors. False positive rates were similar in both groups.
A senior researcher reportedly said that widely rolling out AI-supported mammography in breast cancer screening programmes could help reduce workload pressures on radiologists and aid in detecting more cancers at an early stage. It’s suggested that the implementation must be “cautious” and accompanied by “continuous monitoring.”
Experts believe the radiologist’s eye and experience must correct AI’s diagnosis. Occasionally, the AI tool will highlight a change in breast tissue that is not actually cancer.
In France, use of AI in radiology is still in its “infancy.” The high cost of systems and the risk of overdiagnosis are other factors.
Experts believe the trial provided further evidence that AI-assisted cancer screening is safe.
They are treading the path with caution given that reduction in interval cancers in the AI group was not significant.
Interim results from the study, published in 2023, showed AI nearly halved the time radiologists spent reading scans.
The AI model, Transpara, was trained on more than 2,00,000 previous examinations across 10 countries. According to World Health Organisation data, more than 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 670,000 died from the disease in 2022.
Also Read: Artificial Intelligence Can Replace Auditors And Accountants, Says Union Finance Secretary https://www.vibesofindia.com/artificial-intelligence-can-replace-auditors-and-accountants-says-union-finance-secretary/
