At least once in a year or two years every woman is recommended to go through mammography test. Such testings are important to spot the cancer on early stages. However, outside of being crucial, it is also expensive. This problem is faced by low-/middle-income countries, while the amount of woman that have or, as a result, die from cancer is gradually increasing over last years.
In India, where half of the woman with this disease die, new way of spotting breast cancer was found. A small and portable camera which works basing on AI and consisting thermal in it.
The test is taking around 10 minutes and the only thing woman should do is to remove the top. One of the main advantages of this test is that no one is touching you, especially considering that this fact was stopping some people from the mammography test.
The test works in the way of producing detailed heatmap of the breasts, and if it spots patterns typical for cancer, the woman is required to undertake further tests
There is the hope that this invention will make tests more accessible in the place where mammography is considered intrusive or is less accessible.
60,000 women were already tested using this technology, the inventor of the ‘machine’ claims that the camera is 90% accurate in detecting abnormalities.
However, what is the Western countries’ opinion on this Indian invention?
Doctors from US and Europe still doubt this invention and think that thermal tests are not reliable, so you cannot use this, when it comes to the point that the result can threaten patient’s life.
What is more, the US Food and Drug Administration stated that mammography is and will be the best screening method. On controversy to this, the other statement of US FDA is that they hope, these specific tests will reach people, that cannot afford or avoid undertaking regular ones.
However, that is a great start for such an important development of 21st century. Breast cancer is one of the biggest problems when it comes to causes of womens’ death.
Here you can read more about AI related test that help doctors to fight with breasts cancer by detecting it on early stages: https://www.cureus.com/articles/106594-artificial-intelligence-in-breast-cancer-screening-and-diagnosis
I appreciate living in these years when AI is coming into action of expanding the availability of such important things as reliable examination. In terms of the solution, it is valuable that the device not only makes examination more available and cheaper but also overcomes the problem of shame and fear, which are highly impactful factors preventing from going to a doctor. I hope, that it is just the beginning of inventions that serve humanity and derive from AI field
In fact, this is a very good invention that can save thousands or even millions of lives. However, now it is difficult to say how useful this invention will be. Here I fully agree that this is only “a good start for such an important development of the 21st century”. That’s how it should be, people should create things that will improve our world, and not destroy it by creating weapons.
I highly agree with the point that we should concentrate more on such developments, rather that mass destruction weapons!
It’s great to live at a time when artificial intelligence can help people fight various diseases and health problems. Yes, breast cancer in women is a very serious problem, and if in European countries it is normal to go to the doctor, and when the doctor can examine and touch you, then in countries such as India and where the Muslim religion is present, it is often difficult for girls to agree to such an examination. Therefore, this technology will help women check themselves. Of course, this device is not the most reliable, but this is already an impetus for a better and more modern examination of a woman for serious diseases.
It is really very valuable that we live during the development of artificial intelligence and we (people) can use it not only to develop technologies, but also as a result to improve our health. I hope that in the future there will be more such inventions and they will not be harmful to us
Incredible invention I think such blockbuster as roentgen in medicine field. Breast cancer is a serious problem and optimising the detection part is something worth congrats and will for sure save many lives. amazing job