A common deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has been training AI-based systems on medical imagery and then using it to make smarter/faster/earlier diagnoses than medical professionals. The latest of these comes via the Karolinska Institutet, who have showcased how AI can accurately diagnose prostate cancer in tissue samples.
The study showed that the AI-based system was able to match the accuracy of medical professionals in determining that the sample contained cancer, and indeed in estimating the length of the cancer in the biopsy. It was also comparable in determining the Gleason score, which is the predominant measure used in prostate cancer.
“Our AI tool has the potential to reduce the workload of uropathologists, allowing them to focus on the most difficult cases and at the same time act as a safety net to improve quality.” the researchers say. “It also has the potential to speed up diagnostics and reduce costs for healthcare services.”
Prostate exams
The team behind the project are the same as that behind the Stockholm3 prostate cancer diagnostic test, which I’ve written about previously. The Stockholm3 test aims to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies, and is currently deployed across Scandinavia.
The system, which is known as OncoWatch aims to be validated during 2020 via nine-country study to enable its performance to be assessed in a range of laboratories. If all goes well, a CE-marked product will be launched by the end of 2020.
“There is a high demand for improved tools in prostate cancer diagnostics and we have proven that we can take new innovative tests to the market. The Stockholm3 test was used in more than 20,000 men in the Nordics alone in 2019, and I believe that our new AI system, OncoWatch, will also have strong uptake.” the team say.
Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Europe, with nearly 500,000 new cases diagnosed every year. As with so many conditions, the earlier this can be diagnosed, the earlier treatment can begin and the better the chances of success. Stockholm3 and OncoWatch are at the forefront of developments in this vital area.
