Could the Future of Cancer Detection Involve AI?

The United States has embarked on an ambitious goal of halving the number of deaths from cancer by 2047. Attaining this goal will involve a lot of work from different areas of medical science — but one thing that could make a big difference is improving doctors’ ability to diagnose cancer earlier. And when it comes to that goal, a significant boost might come from an unexpected source: AI technology.

Writing at The Guardian, Andrew Gregory directed readers to recent studies showing that AI technology has shown significantly better results identifying cancer than the methods currently in use. As Gregory explains, at the center of these studies was an AI that reviews CT scans and determines whether or not growths found there are cancerous. The AI in question represents a collaboration among the Institute of Cancer Research, London, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trustand Imperial College London.

How does one go about testing emerging technology like this? In this case, the study involved processing CT scans from 500 patients. Once that was in place, Gregory writes, scientists began testing the AI — and found that it outperformed two tests that are currently in use — the Brock score and the Herder score. Next up? More testing of the AI.

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These results exist in sharp contrast to a Pew Research study released earlier this year, which revealed plenty of ambivalence among those polled over the use of artificial intelligence in medicine. Only 39% of those polled said that they would feel comfortable with their doctor relying on AI for diagnoses. On the other hand, the question of whether or not AI could be accepted as one tool among many for doctors to use remains an open one — and if results like the study cited in The Guardian continue, it might pave the way for greater acceptance of the technology.