The National Health Service (NHS) is gearing up to launch the biggest trial using artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing breast cancer.
According to Sky, the use of AI in breast cancer screening could lead to a dramatic rise in the number of patients being treated, with the radiology department’s workload being reduced by half.
With nearly 700,000 women expected to join the trial, the agency is set to analyze two-thirds of the mammograms over the next few years to see how much they can rely on AI.
Along with that, 30 testing sites across the country are being enhanced with AI technology.
The use of smart tech could speed things up in comparison to two radiologists needing to look at mammogram images to ensure accuracy.
Each year, about 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, according to the charity organization Breast Cancer Now.
Dr. Katharina Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said AI could have a “major impact on radiology” as the screening for breast cancer is quite complex.
Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, shared that any changes to the treatment or screening for cancer need to be supported by hard evidence to show the update is actually making a positive difference.
Peter Kyle, the science and technology secretary, said, “Catching cancer weeks earlier could be the difference between life and death.”
