Cancer and AI: Researchers at RMIT University have recently developed a diagnostic tool that uses artificial intelligence to detect asymptomatic prostate cancer in seconds. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and is also the leading cause of cancer death. Early detection is crucial for effective treatment, however, men often avoid going to the doctor, skipping diagnostic tests until it is too late. The scientists’ findings were published in the journal “Scientific Reports”.
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An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm developed at the University of Melbourne can detect the disease early through routine computed tomography (CT) scans. The technology, developed in collaboration with experts at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, works by analysing CT images for telltale signs of prostate cancer, which is difficult for even a well-trained human eye to detect.
Because of the high doses of radiation required, CT imaging is not suitable for routine cancer screening, but the AI approach could be used to screen for cancer whenever men have their abdomen or pelvis scanned for other reasons. Dr Ruwan Tennakoon of RMIT University said CT scans were good for diagnosing bone and joint disorders, but even radiologists struggled to spot prostate tumors in the images.
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Tennakoon added: “We have trained our software to see what the human eye cannot, with the aim of detecting prostate cancer through incidental detection. It’s like training a sniffer dog – we can train the AI to see things that we cannot see with our eyes, in the same way that a dog is trained to be able to smell things that human noses cannot.”
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Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that grows slowly, and is often discovered accidentally, so it may not be treated for years.
