 tools can 'safely' read breast cancer screening images, a preliminary study suggests. Researchers found that computer-aided detection could spot cancer in mammograms – X-ray pictures of the breast – at a 'similar rate' to two radiologists. The NHS is already examining how it can implement this type of technology in its breast screening programme. But the authors of the latest study said the results are 'not enough on their own to confirm that AI is ready to be implemented in mammography screening'. Previous studies examining whether AI can accurately diagnose breast cancer in mammograms have been carried out retrospectively – where the technology assesses scans which have already been looked at by doctors. But the new interim study saw AI-supported screening put head to head with standard care. The randomised control trial, published in the journal Lancet Oncology, involved more than 80,000 women from Sweden with an average age of 54. The NHS is already examining how it can implement this type of technology in its breast screening programme (Picture: Unsplash) Half of the scans were assessed by two radiologists, known as standard care, while the other half were assessed by the AI-supported screening tool followed by interpretation by one or two radiologists. In total, 244 women from AI-supported screening were found to have cancer compared with 203 women recalled from standard screening. And the use of AI did not generate more 'false positives' – where a scan is incorrectly diagnosed as abnormal. The false-positive rate was 1.5% in both the AI group and the group assessed by radiologists. Researchers said the use of AI could potentially almost halve the screening workload. There were 36,886 fewer screen readings by radiologists in the AI-supported group compared with the group who received standard care, resulting in a 44% reduction in th){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can ‘safely’ read breast cancer screening images, a preliminary study suggests.
Researchers found that computer-aided detection could spot cancer in mammograms – X-ray pictures of the breast – at a ‘similar rate’ to two radiologists.
The NHS is already examining how it can implement this type of technology in its breast screening programme.
But the authors of the latest study said the results are ‘not enough on their own to confirm that AI is ready to be implemented in mammography screening’.