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Proving the potential of AI screenings
Artificial intelligence may help radiologists spot disease, but throwing the technology at millions of CT scans or mammograms is not without risks to patients and may drive up costs without showing much benefit. Katie Palmer reports on two efforts to prove out the potential:
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A large randomized controlled trial will explore the value of AI-aided mammography in screening for breast cancer. The technology is already widely used in the U.S., but the best evidence that it’s useful comes from Europe. The $16 million trial is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Read more on what researchers may find here.
Next month, NYU Langone Health will begin checking bone density in CT scans of people over 65 for osteoporosis, a condition that often goes undetected until someone breaks a bone. The health system may expand the work if it’s proven to help. This kind of opportunistic screening, which repurposes otherwise acquired scans, could be used to identify many treatable conditions. Katie’s interview is worth a read.
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