Mammography screening supported by artificial intelligence is safe, more accurate and efficient, according to an interim safety analysis of the first randomised trial that was published in the Lancet Oncology journal on Tuesday, which could potentially reduce the workload of radiologists. According to the interim safety analysis involving at least 80,000 Swedish women, AI-supported screening detected 20% more cancers compared with the routine double reading of mammograms by two breast radiologists.
In effect, the study underlines AI-supported mammography analysis is as good as two breast radiologists working together to detect breast cancer without increasing false positives and almost halving the screen reading workload.
“These promising interim safety results should be used to inform new trials and programme-based evaluations to address the pronounced radiologist shortage in many countries,” lead author Dr Kristina Lång of Sweden’s Lund University said in a statement. “But they are not enough on their own to confirm that AI is ready to be implemented in mammography screening.”
“We still need to understand the implications on patients’ outcomes, especially whether combining radiologists’ expertise with AI can help detect interval cancers that are often missed by traditional screening, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the technology,” she said. Breast cancer screening through mammography has been shown to improve prognosis and reduce mortality by detecting breast cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage. Source: HT