(NewsNation) — Doctors may soon utilize a new tool to detect skin cancer that could outperform traditional physical exams.
Handheld devices powered by artificial intelligence can quickly identify skin cancers, potentially reducing the need for biopsies and referrals.
The breakthrough could especially impact those who cannot afford frequent dermatologist visits or those in rural areas lacking easy access to testing.
AI scan outperformed dermatologists: Study
A 2017 study published in the journal Nature found an AI model outperformed more than 20 dermatologists in identifying skin cancer from nearly 130,000 clinical images.
Health care providers can use small devices to hover over moles or lesions and immediately check for common skin cancers, such as melanoma and basal cell carcinoma.
The most significant benefit is that health care professionals who do not specialize in dermatology could perform these checks during a routine visit, making early detection easier and quicker.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with one in five Americans expected to be affected in their lifetime, according to the City of Hope Cancer Center.
AI could improve patient outcome
Artificial intelligence is being used to detect breast, ovarian and lung cancers.
Harvard Medical School recently developed an advanced ChatGPT-like AI model called CHIEF, or Clinical Histopathology Imaging Evaluation Foundation, that analyzes tumor tissue images to detect cancer types.
The training allows the model to accurately predict patient outcomes, identify genetic mutations and suggest how well patients might respond to treatments like chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
The hope is that the model could significantly speed up cancer diagnoses and lead to highly personalized treatments, dramatically improving patient outcomes worldwide.
