- Researchers at the institute have developed new artificial intelligence that's able to predict the likelihood of breast cancer cases years in advance.
- According to an MIT press release, the tech uses the mammograms of 60,000 patients to detect subtle patterns in breast tissue that could be precursors to malignant tumors.
- The system may one day be used to see if patients have a higher risk of other health issues, including other forms of cancer or heart problems.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) press release, researchers at the institute have developed artificial intelligence (AI) capable of predicting whether a patient is likely to develop breast cancer four years before it's visible.
According to a study in Radiology, the AI has been able to detect anomalies in patients' mammograms that may not have otherwise been detected using traditional techniques.
To build the AI, MIT scientists used a deep learning technique using the mammograms of 60,000 patients at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The model was then able to pick up subtle patterns in breast tissue that could be precursors to malignant tumors.
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"Our goal is to make these advancements a part of the standard of care," says Yala. "By predicting who will develop cancer in the future, we can hopefully save lives and catch cancer before symptoms ever arise."
The earlier a tumor is detected, the greater a patient's chances of survival — which is why the earliest possible diagnosis is so important.
Read more:Scientists may have found a way to kill cancer cells without chemotherapy
"It's particularly striking that the model performs equally as well for white and black people, which has not been the case with prior tools," said Associate Professor of Medicine and of Health Research and Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine, Allison Kurian to Big Think. "If validated and made available for widespread use, this could really improve on our current strategies to estimate risk."
AI seems to be offering some other promising advances in the health sector too.
For example, Google researchers have developed an algorithm that can detect an astonishing 50 different varieties of eye disease, one of which affects around 50% of those with diabetes.
MIT Professor Regina Barzilay added that the system may one day be used to see if patients have an elevated risk of other health problems, including other types of cancer or heart disease.
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