Artificial Intelligence-Backed Mammography Screening Detects 20% More Cancers, Study Finds
Stockholm, Sweden – In a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from the University of Lund in Sweden, it has been revealed that artificial intelligence (AI)-supported mammography screening is a safe alternative that has led to the detection of 20% more cancers compared to standard screening. The study, published in “The Lancet Oncology,” also found that false positive rates were not affected by the use of AI.
The randomized controlled study involved 80,033 women who were randomly divided into two groups. The first group of 40,003 women received screening with AI support, while the second group of 40,030 women underwent the standard practice of double reading by radiologists. The radiologists in the AI-supported screening group used AI to assist in the detection of suspicious results on the mammography images.
According to Kristina Lång, researcher and associate professor in diagnostic radiology at Lund University and consultant at Skåne University Hospital, who led the study, the combined use of the AI system and the radiologist led to the detection of 20% more tumors compared to standard screening. This increase in cancer detection did not result in a higher rate of false positives.
Additionally, the workload for radiologists was significantly reduced by 44% with the introduction of AI. The number of screen reads conducted with AI-supported screening was 46,345, compared to 83,231 with standard screening. On average, a radiologist reads 50 screening exams per hour, and the researchers estimated that the AI system saved approximately five months of time.
However, it is important to note that this study was conducted at a single site in a Swedish environment. Further research is needed to determine if these promising results hold up in different conditions, such as with other radiologists or utilizing different AI algorithms.
Breast cancer remains a significant health concern, and early detection plays a crucial role in improving treatment outcomes and survival rates. The use of AI-supported mammography screening presents an exciting opportunity to potentially enhance the accuracy and efficiency of breast cancer detection.
As with any medical advancement, researchers and healthcare professionals must continue to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of AI-supported mammography screening to ensure its widespread and safe implementation.
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