Hologic has AI-powered mammography technology [Image courtesy of the company]
Detecting cancers that might otherwise be missed in medical imaging is one of the promising use cases for AI in healthcare.
In the study, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston leveraged the Genius AI Detection solution from medical technology company Hologic (Nasdaq: HOLX) to perform a retrospective analysis of 7,500 3D mammography screening exams.
The solution is designed to search for suspicious lesions in “each slice of the tomosynthesis image set,” according to the company’s website.
The 7,500 exams performed between 2016 and 2019 included 100 cases of false negatives, mammograms that were read as negative but followed by a diagnosis of cancer within a year. Hologic’s Genius AI Detection solution marked 32% of these false positive cases and supplied accurate identification of the areas in which patients were later diagnosed with breast cancer.
In addition to flagging false-negative cases, the AI solution flagged cancer cases previously noted by radiologists. Of the 500 identified cancer cases, the solution marked nearly 90%. It was better at flagging some kinds of cancers more than others. The Genius AI Detection technology was more likely to find invasive ductal carcinomas and lymph node-positive and less likely to flag invasive lobular carcinomas and grade I invasive carcinomas, according to Hologic.
“While additional research is needed, these findings are promising and highlight AI’s tremendous potential to redefine breast cancer detection in the years ahead,” said Dr. Manisha Bahl, associate director of quality for breast imaging at Mass General Brigham and Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School.
Additional research could address limitations noted in this study. The study group included a largely Caucasian patient population. It was performed at a single academic medical center. It did not include an evaluation of integration into clinical workflows and patient outcomes.
As Hologic continues to develop solutions in women’s health, it will do so under new ownership. In October, the company announced a definitive agreement to be acquired by alternative asset managers Blackstone and TPG.
