A study in the journal Nature reports that artificial intelligence is more accurate than doctors in diagnosing breast cancer from mammograms.

The algorithm in reading mammograms outperformed six radiologists.

AI is still as good as the two doctors working together.

Unlike humans, AI is tireless. Experts say this will improve detection.

How good is it?

The current system in the NHS uses two radiologists to analyze each woman’s x-rays.

In the research study, an AI model was given anonymous images so that women could not be identified.

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Unlike human experts who have access to a patient’s history, AI has only mammograms.

The results show that the AI ​​model is as good as the current double-reading approach of both physicians.

It is better to diagnose cancer than a single doctor.

Compared to a radiologist, there is a 1.2% reduction in false positives when the mammogram is misdiagnosed.

There is also a 2.7% reduction in false negatives, where cancer is missed.

Reading x-rays is essential but time-consuming, and there is a shortage of over 1,000 radiologists across the UK.

Is AI taking over from humans?

It took humans to design and train artificial intelligence.

This is a research study and has not yet left the AI ​​system in the clinic.

Even when it is, at least one radiologist is responsible for the diagnosis.

AI could substantially eliminate the need for the dual reading of both physicians’ mammograms, reducing the pressure on their workload, researchers say.

Professor Ara Darzi, the co-author of the report and director of the Imperial Center for Cancer Research UK (CRUK), told the BBC: “It exceeds my expectations. It will have a significant impact on improving the quality of reporting and will liberate radiologists to perform more important tasks.”

Every three years, women between the ages of 50 and 70 are invited for an NHS breast screening — adults can ask to be screened.

The use of AI will ultimately speed up the diagnosis, as images can be analyzed in seconds through a computer algorithm.

“Artificial intelligence machines are not exhausting… they can work 24/7, but no human can do that, so it’s a great idea to combine both.”

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50857759