Enhancing Cancer Diagnosis With AI Algorithms in Pathology

Anil Parwani, MD, PhD, professor of pathology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, discusses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance cancer diagnostics and treatment.

Specifically, Parwani highlights the goal of developing AI tools, like a "Google Map" for pathologists, to improve diagnostic accuracy. He also covers the testing of a new AI algorithm that predicts risk scores for cancer biopsies, potentially offering faster and less invasive prognostic assays compared to traditional methods.

Transcription:

0:09 | We are doing a study now, where we are watching the eye movements of pathologists as they look at the monitor as they interact with you. We are building algorithms like a Google Map for pathologists. These types of technologies will lead to better cancer diagnostics, it will lead to designing assays and diagnostic modalities, which can help pathologists in all aspects of their workflow.

0:45 | Finally, the last piece is, how does it help oncologists guide their treatment modalities? If there are these 15 patients, they have differences in their genetics or different mutations. Today, we know that AI can help differentiate between those. We are testing a new algorithm with a company which has built a prognostic assay based on images from pathology. Basically, the algorithm runs through those biopsies and predicts the risk score for each biopsy. We are testing that algorithm. Now, it is not ready for primetime yet. But there have been 2 or 3 publications already outlining the benefits of this approach, because it is not as expensive. A traditional molecular assay might take 2 weeks to get the results back. This assay could be done that same day, it could be done on the same material, the patient does not need to come back for a second invasive procedure. There are a lot of things that AI will start to help us with. We are fortunate because we were 1 of the first hospitals in the country to go live with digital pathology.