Al-assisted detection identifies colon cancer automatically and in-real time

A new computer-aided endoscopic system that probes for signs of tumor or cancer growth in the colon may very well be the future of cancer detection. Assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), the new diagnostic system is able to tell if clumps of cells, called colorectal polyps, that grow along the walls of the colon are benign tumors known as colorectal adenoma.

The prospective study was conducted by a team led by Dr. Yuichi Mori from Showa University in Yokohama, Japan. Mori and his colleagues tested the new system in 250 patients previously identified to have colorectal polyps. The AI predicted the pathology of each polyp, comparing it with final pathological reports taken from the resected specimens. The results were highly encouraging — the system assessed 306 polyps in real-time, with a 94 percent sensitivity, 79 percent specificity, and 86 percent accuracy. In identifying abnormal tissue growth, the system demonstrated 79 percent positive and 93 percent negative predictive values.

In short, the AI was able to fairly accurately identify which abnormal colon cell growths were most likely to be cancerous. “The most remarkable breakthrough with this system is that artificial intelligence enables real-time optical biopsy of colorectal polyps during colonoscopy, regardless of the endoscopists’ skill,” Mori said, speaking during the Opening Plenary at the UEG Week. “This allows the complete resection of adenomatous polyps and prevents unnecessary polypectomy of non-neoplastic polyps.”

Furthermore, the researchers presented the results of their prospective study to prove that their system was ready for clinical trials.”We believe these results are acceptable for clinical application and our immediate goal is to obtain regulatory approval for the diagnostic system”.

Source: Futurism