Some medical professionals have concluded that the significant improvement in breast cancer screenings made possible by artificial intelligence is saving lives. Artificial intelligence is finding symptoms of sickness years before a tumor would show up on a conventional scan.
Since introducing AI to their breast cancer screenings, the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health and Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital has seen a 23% increase in cancer diagnoses.
The increase in early detections has surprised the institute’s medical director, Dr. Kathy Schilling, who told Fox News Digital that the clinic has nine breast radiologists who are all fellowship qualified.
To which Schilling said, “All we do is read breast imaging studies, and so I thought, you know, we were probably pretty good at what we do,” but the study demonstrates that even the most devoted and committed breast radiologists may improve their performance with the use of artificial intelligence.
iCad
iCad has developed a program called “ProFound AI” to highlight suspicious regions in mammograms. Over time, the program analyzed millions of breast cancer scans to improve its ability to detect suspicious tumors and calculate cancer risk.
Knowing that 90% of cases are uncomplicated and result in no findings might be exhausting. Looking at all of the pictures has a hypnotic effect on you. “We’re able to shift our attention and zero in on the tiniest of cancers thanks to the AI,” Schilling explained.
In December 2018, ProFound AI received FDA clearance as the first technology of its kind. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health and Wellness Institute implemented innovative technology, and the facility is now home to one of the early studies on the effects of AI on cancer.
Schilling predicted that they would identify malignancies as small as 3 to 6 millimeters in size, as well as invasive lobular cancers that are notoriously difficult to detect since they don’t manifest as obvious masses in the breast.
Schilling added that because breast cancer cells are so small, the center has been offering gentler treatments to individuals with the disease for the past two years.
“We are doing smaller lumpectomies, fewer mastectomies, less chemotherapy, less radiation therapy,” she added. “I believe a new era of breast care is upon us.”
AI Early Detection
After a routine mammogram on April 1 revealed a small cancerous tumor, Schilling thinks AI’s early detection capabilities may have helped save Luz Torres’ life. Torres claimed she was in the dark about any potential health issues.
I always have a mammogram and an ultrasound since I have really dense breast tissue. A breast biopsy was recommended at that visit, so Torres had one performed within a week. “I got the phone call that the pathology was breast cancer,” she recounted tearfully. The diagnosis came quickly. I haven’t missed a year of mammograms, so the tumor must be rather little.
Torres had surgery for stage 1 breast cancer she was diagnosed in early April. Thanks to the early diagnosis, she should be able to fully recover.
Looks good to me. Torres, who termed the facility fantastic, was relieved to learn that her diagnosis was classified as early stage 1.
The hope of detecting breast cancer at an early, curable stage when the prognosis is good has prompted research to develop better diagnostic tools for patients. To be one of those patients is an incredible fortune for me. She summed up by calling it a “blessing.”
A number of firms have introduced AI systems that can detect and report anomalies in cancer screenings. AI is also being used by doctors to diagnose cancers like prostate, lung, and brain.
FAQs
Several companies have developed AI systems that can detect and report anomalies in cancer screenings. Doctors are also using AI to diagnose cancers such as prostate, lung, and brain.
iCad has created a program called “ProFound AI” that can detect suspicious areas in mammograms. The program analyzed millions of breast cancer scans over time in order to improve its ability to detect suspicious tumors and calculate cancer risk.
