Pioneering Welsh AI cancer trial 'will have a huge impact' on clinical outcomes
LBC’s been told a first-of-its-kind UK trial detecting multiple cancer types, using artificial intelligence, is showing “mind-blowing” results.
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Leading the charge is Wales’ largest health board, Betsi Cadwaladr - which serves the entirety of North Wales. It’s among those with the worst cancer waiting times.
Its latest pilot - which uses the Paige PanCancer Detect platform - follows the success of prostate and breast cancer trials using the IBEX Galen system.
Dr Muhammad Aslam, the national lead for digital pathology and AI projects, says it’ll have a “huge impact” on clinical outcomes - and is saving clinicians time and benefitting patients.
“We get a lot of biopsies which are not diagnostically malignant, so they are clinically thought about on a benign pathway. In those routine cases, they stay in the laboratory for longer periods of time, depending on the resources.”
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“We’ve carried out audits and they showed a significant number of those can turn malignant. So, we were looking for a project where we can actually pick those cases and create a real time triage,” he adds.
“Rather than those patients being given the diagnosis of malignancy after three months, they’ll get the diagnosis and the offer of treatment within one to two weeks.”
Centuries-old techniques have been updated, with biopsy slides now scanned before being digitally analysed - and cross-examined by clinicians.
Wales’ Health Secretary, Jeremy Miles, says using AI in this way is not about replacing clinicians - but supporting them: “With the technology, it’s able to find some of the problems that might otherwise be invisible,” he says.
”So, it’s really helpful in assisting doctors to be able to spot things more quickly and, therefore, provide more treatments more quickly - which is what we all want to see.”
It’s hoped the trial will be expanded with further funding, before a national-roll out.