AI aids colonoscopy by acting as 'extra pair of eyes', spotting tumors

Scientists from the medical faculty of the Chinese University of Hong Kong have discovered that artificial intelligence (AI) can aid less experienced doctors in detecting tumours during colonoscopy procedures. They developed an AI tool that successfully identified small growths, also known as adenomas, that might often be missed, underscored Dr. Louis Lau Ho Shing, an assistant professor of medicine and therapeutics. According to the South China Morning Post, the AI tool is especially adept at identifying these smaller growths that might otherwise go unnoticed, potentially developing into cancer if overlooked. The goal of implementing AI in colonoscopies, which began at the university's medical faculty in 2021, is to decrease the "miss rate" of these lesions. The tool assists doctors, especially less experienced ones, by acting as an "extra pair of eyes" for them, improving the detection rate of tumours. Ho Shing explained that traditional colonoscopies require significant multitasking, with doctors using a flexible tube and a tiny camera to inspect the patient's colon via the rectum. Junior doctors or those suffering from fatigue risk missing smaller lesions, which could eventually develop into cancer. The AI tool serves as an additional observer, picking out potential tumours from the video footage. This tool is particularly useful in identifying adenomas smaller than five millimeters in diameter. Furthermore, the faculty has created an AI platform called AI Endo to assist in training doctors on early-stage gastrointestinal cancer surgery, using surgical statistics and aiding in predicting steps in real-time to reduce the learning curve for novice surgeons. Despite the lack of governing guidelines, public hospitals in Hong Kong have procured the AI tool, and Ho Shing expressed hope that the results of their study would motivate more extensive adoption of the AI tool.