AI Significantly Improves Breast Cancer Detection in Landmark Trial
A groundbreaking, world-first clinical trial has demonstrated that artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors identify more cases of breast cancer during routine screenings. The findings, released Friday, suggest a pathway to alleviate the strain on overworked radiologists and improve early detection rates, potentially saving lives.
More than 100,000 women in Sweden participated in the randomized controlled trial, conducted in 2021 and 2022. Participants were divided into two groups: one where a radiologist was assisted by an AI system in analyzing scans, and a control group following the standard European practice of dual-radiologist review.
The results were compelling. The AI-assisted group detected 9% more cancer cases compared to the control group. Importantly, over the subsequent two years, women in the AI group experienced a 12% lower rate of interval cancers – those diagnosed between routine screenings, which are often more aggressive. This improvement held consistent across varying ages and breast densities, both known risk factors for the disease. The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, represents the “gold standard” for this type of research, utilizing a randomized controlled trial design.
“Widely rolling out AI-supported mammography in breast cancer screening programs could help reduce workload pressures amongst radiologists, as well as helping to detect more cancers at an early stage,” stated Kristina Lang, a senior study author from Sweden’s Lund University. However, she cautioned that implementation must be approached “cautiously” and with “continuous monitoring.”
The potential benefits extend beyond increased detection. Interim results from the trial, published in 2023, revealed that the AI model, Transpara, nearly halved the time radiologists spent reviewing scans. Transpara was trained on a vast dataset of over 200,000 previous examinations from 10 countries, demonstrating the power of large-scale data in refining AI algorithms.
Despite the promising results, experts emphasize the continued importance of human oversight. “The radiologist’s eye and experience must correct the AI’s diagnosis,” noted a leading voice within the French National Federation of Radiologists. “Sometimes the AI tool will have seen a change in breast tissue that is not actually cancer.” Concerns were also raised regarding the current cost and potential for overdiagnosis associated with AI systems, particularly in countries like France where adoption is still in its early stages.
Another expert, Stephen Duffy, emeritus professor of cancer screening at Queen Mary University of London, acknowledged the study’s contribution to the growing body of evidence supporting the safety of AI-assisted screening. However, he cautioned that the observed reduction in interval cancers was not statistically significant and called for further follow-up to determine if the control group would eventually show similar improvements.
The urgency of improving breast cancer detection is underscored by the latest statistics from the World Health Organization: in 2022 alone, over 2.3 million women were diagnosed with the disease, and 670,000 died from it. This trial offers a significant step forward in leveraging technology to combat this global health challenge, but careful implementation and ongoing evaluation will be crucial to realizing its full potential.
