The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma, also known as BCC. It is a cancer that behaves benignly and does not spread to the lymph nodes. This type of skin cancer is easy to distinguish from the other types of cancer and is now assessed daily by the pathologist. “It’s half of my diagnostics per day. This takes up a lot of precious time that I can better spend on discovering the dangerous and deadly cancers, such as melanomas, more quickly.”
Skin cancer research not sexy
According to Daan Geijs, relatively little research is currently being done on BCC worldwide. “Actually, research into BCC is not that sexy. It is not a dangerous form of skin cancer, so it is dismissed as a minor ailment. Because of the high frequency, we show that we can solve a major social problem with artificial intelligence that not only relieves the pressure on the care, but also makes care sustainable for the future.”
Staff shortage
In the Achterhoek alone, 600 care vacancies were unfilled last October, while there were only 300 five years ago. That is precisely why artificial intelligence plays such a crucial role in the future of healthcare, according to Daan. “We really need to look at how we can organize healthcare more efficiently, instead of looking for more healthcare personnel who are not there. In 20 years, one in four people will have to work in healthcare to meet the healthcare demand. Currently is that one in seven and we are already dealing with major shortages.”
Photo: Radboudumc