Researchers train AI to detect prostate cancer in asymptomatic patients

Researchers train AI to detect prostate cancer in asymptomatic patients

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09 July 2021

Researchers at RMIT University and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne in Australia have created an AI that can detect prostate cancer in asymptomatic patients.

Cancer is detected by CT scans, which usually aren’t used for cancer screening due to the high radiation emitted. However, the researchers trained the artificial intelligence system which they developed to look for clues in these scans.

To detect signs of prostate cancer, the researchers looked at various CT scans of patients who were asymptomatic with and without cancer. They then trained the system on how to look for the disease based on these results, as well as where to look. Over time, the artificial intelligence system improved its accuracy and was able to detect even the smallest "abnormalities".

According to one of the researchers, Dr Ruwan Tennakoon, 

We’ve trained our software to see what the human eye can’t, with the aim of spotting prostate cancer through incidental detection. It’s like training a sniffer dog – we can teach the AI to see things that we can’t with our own eyes, in the same way a dog can smell things human noses can’t.
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