WTOP News – Artificial intelligence could help prevent more cases of cancer, new study suggests

A recent study found that artificial intelligence contributes to more breast cancer.

According to a new study published in Lancet Oncology, using artificial intelligence software to read mammograms detects 20 percent more cases of cancer than the usual two readings by two different radiologists.

Additionally, the study said the AI ​​software did not increase the number of false-positive reports, a finding that warrants further follow-up and possibly a biopsy.

The Swedish study looked at more than 80,000 women between the ages of 40 and 80.

The goal was to detect more interval cancers, which are cancers found between regularly scheduled screening mammograms.

The researchers called the study “promising,” especially in areas where there is a shortage of radiologists.

By inputting data from millions of mammograms, the technicians were able to train artificial intelligence technology to read the mammograms, through which the software developed an algorithm of what a normal mammogram looked like versus a cancerous mammogram.

“These promising interim safety results should be used to inform new trials and program-based evaluations to address the apparent shortage of radiologists in many countries,” Christina Long, assistant professor of diagnostic radiology at Lund University, told Breast Cancer in a statement. org

But they alone are not enough to confirm the readiness of artificial intelligence for use in mammography screening. We still need to understand the implications for patient outcomes, particularly whether combining the expertise of radiologists with artificial intelligence can identify distant cancers often missed by traditional screening, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the technology, Long said. help.