Study suggests AI could reduce time reading breast cancer scans

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Aug 2023 19:33

Although the study's results were hailed as promising, the authors said further research needs to be done before AI can be used to screen for breast cancer at a larger scale.

Medical Director Radiologist, Dr. Gerald Iba, checks mammograms, an advanced imaging screening that promotes early detection of breast cancer. (AP)

A large Swedish study said on Wednesday that Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to assist with screenings for breast cancer, suggesting that it can significantly help reduce the workload for radiologists in locating tumors.

Although the study's results were hailed as promising, the authors said further research needs to be done before AI can be used to screen for breast cancer at a larger scale.

AI has already proved itself extremely efficient in the development of chatbots such as ChatGPT, and now developers are interested in finding out if the technology could be used to assist with reading medical scans.

For countries suffering from a shortage of radiologists, the study's results have raised hopes in facilitating routine scans, especially for patients who suffer from breast cancer.

Routine screening is essential to identify early signs of cancer -- especially in women aged 50 to 69 who are required to have a mammogram every two years in Europe.

The resulting scans are further required to be analyzed by two radiologists.

The study was conducted in Sweden with the participation of 80,000 women. Mammograms were carried out in four different locations in Southwest Sweden between April 2021 and July 2022.