AI can help predict cancer -claims a study. Yes, as the computer technology continues to blossom and make way towards an advanced future, Artificial Intelligence also promises to grow along. A group of researchers working on artificial intelligence at the University of Sheffield in the UK gives hope that it is possible to detect oral cancer in its pre-mature stage.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
The researchers have thoroughly used artificial intelligence and machine learning as tools of their study. And have found that these certainly can aid medical practitioners to come to more accurate and precise prognosis. Now artificial intelligence, simply put is a computer science genre that is inclined towards making machines smart that can nearly replicate human intelligence. And through machine learning, machines grow smarter through experiential learning. Thus, the garb of near future holds a strong possibility that AI can help doctors detect mouth cancer at early stages. Says EconomicTimes.
The Data
Statistics reveal that nearly 60 percent increase has been observed in the past 10 years for the cases of oral cancer. And this deadly form of cancer includes mouth, tongue, oropharyngeal and the cancer of tonsil. The detection of cancer often happens during the later stages, which is a major cause of death in most patients. Tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy lifestyle are the main causes that lead to cancer, in this case oral cancer. For now, the need for doctors is to know the pre-cancerous stage which is the oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) that develops into cancer. This is determined using 15 different parameters to come to a score to set up the patient’s course of treatment. Though there could be a lot of variations in the treatment process for different patients as the score is many a time a subjective issue. But, as of now doctors use this method to determine whether to remove a lesion surgically or to leave the case for further monitoring.
What do doctors say about how AI can help predict cancer?
Dr. Ali Khurram is a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Sheffield’s School of Clinical Dentistry and believes that a pinpoint diagnosis of such score can leave even the experienced doctors none the wiser. He adds and maintains the significance of precision of OED score to decide the patient’s line of treatment. There is a strong possibility that with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning, this subjectivity can be removed to a great extent. Thus AI can help predict cancer and revolutionize the cancer study as a whole. To prepare better AI algorithms, researchers will use OED tissue samples that have been preserved for five years. Thus, these algorithms will be more like a helping hand for the pathologists to come to concrete diagnosis.
Dr. Khurram further reveals that many a time people worry that artificial intelligence would replace a doctor’s expertise. But researchers at the same say confidently that AI can help predict cancer certainly. A professor, Dr. Nasir Rajpoot from the University of Warwick also appreciates the study that will chalk out a new way for timely detection of oral cancers.
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Conclusion:
The Artificial intelligence and the machine learning hold immense potential to revolutionise cancer study and diagnosis. We can have better equipped, smart and more proficient algorithms that will be assets in the medical field and will especially help detect oral cancer in premature stages itself.
