AI versus cancer

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About 2 years ago it was the first time when I heard about AI. Now it seams that it could help radiologists to check X-rays . Back then it wasn’t even in Alpha tests and now it  becomes reality.

Right now in Europe when mammograms are performed, normally 2 radiologists are looking for the signs of cancer. In a near future it will most certainly change.  AI will be detecting irregularities in x-rays scans thanks to deep learning and big data base of images of breasts with anomalies.

A few start-ups already started working on those programs e.g. Berlin-based MX Healthcare which collected over 1 million imagines (just like the one below on the left). Google also started working on AI  with the same purpose using program called Lymph Node Assistant, or LYNA.

Google AI cancer

Above: Left: a slide containing lymph nodes. Right: LYNA identifying the tumor region.
Image Credit: Google

LYNA detects metastatic tumors made of cancerous cells which break away from their original tissue , circulate through the body and form new tumors in other parts of the body. Those cells are extremely difficult to detects and due to  that there are around 0,5 millions deaths annually. In one of the tests Google operating system received 99% accuracy ( comparing to human with only 62% ) which only tells that in future AI will be used 100% with or without help of radiologists.

The difference between LYNA and other AI is a data base. Google AI uses open source data which let it learn and practice more efficient than other programs.

Znalezione obrazy dla zapytania breast cancer xray

To sum it up, AI in the future will be checking probably all X-ray imagines due to it superiority over humans, but it doesn’t mean that radiologists will lose their jobs. This is because AI will be able to check the past of the cancerous changes but not the future of them.

 

References:

1. https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/12/google-ai-claims-99-accuracy-in-metastatic-breast-cancer-detection/

2. https://www.politico.eu/article/ai-doctors-cancer-treatment-deep-learning/?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&utm_campaign=1107d30718-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_11_23_05_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10959edeb5-1107d30718-190318285

3. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/25/national/science-health/cancer-breast-density-doctors-withholding/#.XAQs02hKg2w

One thought on “AI versus cancer

  1. Puhach Anhelina says:

    Look at the speed at which AI is developing and the already large and global investment in it! The reality is well beyond anyone’s dreams. The emphasis here is on earlier diagnosis, which means earlier intervention. The use of AI to diagnose cancer accurately, cheaply and early is likely to result in lots of saved lives. This is likely to be a huge boon for survival rates for lots of cancers simply through being able to get after them quicker and as such it’s a promising development. As a non-medical person (aka a patient) I’m excited about the advent of AI diagnostics. There’s simply no way one doctor can absorb all the data needed, much less interpret it. That’s what AI is good at. Doctors will still have plenty of work to do. And on top of all that, the transition to digital reporting in histopathology, and the development of reporting biomedical scientists, for example, can help to narrow the shortage of qualified medical staff to my mind.

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