NHS Initiates Groundbreaking Trial: Revolutionizing Breast Cancer Diagnosis with AI Technology

The NHS is starting a massive trial to use artificial intelligence (AI) for detecting breast cancer. This could help doctors give faster diagnoses, which is crucial for patients.

In this trial, AI will review around two-thirds of 700,000 mammograms carried out in England over the next few years. Researchers want to see if AI can match the accuracy of a radiologist in reading these scans.

If the trial is successful, hospitals might no longer need to have two radiologists reviewing every mammogram, a practice called the “second reader” system. With AI as a supportive tool, one radiologist could read the scan while AI provides a secondary analysis. This change could allow specialists to focus on other important tasks, cutting down wait times for results from tests like X-rays and MRIs.

On World Cancer Day, the Department of Health and Social Care announced this trial alongside a new cancer plan aimed at improving diagnosis and treatment.

A previous study conducted in Sweden even found that AI not only helps reduce the workload of radiologists by about half but also does not lead to more “false positives,” which are incorrect signs of disease.

Starting later this year, five different AI systems will analyze around 462,000 mammograms at 30 screening centers. The remaining 238,000 will still be examined by the traditional two-radiologist approach. The results from both methods will then be compared.

Prof. Lucy Chappell, the chief scientific adviser for the DHSC, mentioned that this trial could greatly benefit early detection of breast cancer. “It offers women faster, more accurate diagnoses when it matters most,” she said.

Meanwhile, Samantha Harrison from Cancer Research UK emphasized the need for innovations like this, especially as more cancer cases are diagnosed each year. Such advancements could help reduce pressure on NHS staff and decrease waiting lists.

Prof. Katharine Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, acknowledged the potential for AI to help with rising demands in diagnostics but reminded us of the risks involved. She stressed the importance of ensuring that AI algorithms work effectively for all women, regardless of their background.

Furthermore, she raised concerns about the ongoing shortage of consultants in the NHS, which may hit 40% by 2028.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, plans to roll out a comprehensive national cancer plan to bolster the UK’s efforts in combating this serious disease.