All about Artificial Intelligence
*By Dr. Luiz Henrique Araújo, oncologist at the Niterói Hospital Complex (CHN) and the São Lucas Copacabana Hospital, which are part of Dasa
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new reality in the routine of oncologists and specialized centers throughout the country and transforms the way professionals conduct health care. Several aspects of this technology are required throughout the patient’s journey, but its benefits have been perceived, above all, in the early detection of tumors and in the analysis of possible genetic mutations, especially those related to breast, lung or brain cancer.
Reducing the time needed to detect a possible tumor is one of the main benefits of AI for early cancer diagnosis. When analyzing CT scan and chest X-ray results, for example, the technology reduces image noise and evaluates suspicious nodules efficiently — in up to 40% less time — which reduces waiting time inside the machine and the number of results considered false positives. In this scenario, AI also optimizes diagnosis and positively impacts clinical outcomes, favoring appropriate treatment.
AI can even help with X-ray analysis (Image: H_Ko/Shutterstock)
Another common way in which artificial intelligence is used to reduce the time it takes to assess a possible case of cancer is through natural language processing (NLP) tools. This tool identifies patients with important findings in imaging tests after automatically reading medical reports, which can consider many tests in a short space of time. This scanning is based on searching for words that suggest the presence of the disease or a high risk in a specific patient.
In some specialized and integrated centers, if the possibility of cancer is detected in an exam, the diagnostic team is responsible for contacting the prescribing physician and, if necessary, assisting the patient in navigating the path to starting treatment. On average, information identified through NPL technology is capable of mobilizing the prescribing physician and expediting the next steps in the care of an oncology patient after seven days. If the patient is not alerted, the time varies around 17 days.
AI has different applications within medicine that can optimize the sector (Image: Shutterstock/LALAKA)
Artificial intelligence has made significant gains in genetic mutations, focusing mainly on the analysis of risk factors and the genetic expression profile of various types of tumors, where AI is responsible for evaluating sections of the patient’s DNA on which a specific type of cancer relies to develop or spread more effectively. Currently, there is also research focused on the analysis of proteins and DNA fragments from blood samples, with the aim of tracking certain types of tumors that are already developing, such as ovarian cancer.
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It is important to emphasize that, in any of the AI applications, the final confirmation of the presence or absence of a tumor in a patient must still be defined through the final analysis of a physician, who will use the information provided by the technology as a guide for his/her assessments. It is worth noting, however, that the contributions of AI to establishing faster decision-making flows and choosing increasingly personalized approaches are undeniable and contribute directly to the creation of a more effective line of care in the identification and treatment of cancer in Brazil and a new path in the routine of oncology.
