In a significant breakthrough for medical technology, an artificial intelligence (AI) software has demonstrated a 100% success rate in detecting melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
This remarkable achievement is the result of three years of meticulous fine-tuning by a team of dedicated dermatologists from the UK.
The AI software was trained using patient data gathered from consultations with doctors and images of their cancers. Over two and a half years, more than 22,350 people in the UK tested the AI’s ability to identify their cancers and pre-cancerous growths.
The system was loaded with patient data, including photos of cancers, to ‘teach’ it what to look for.
The app that is 100 PERCENT effective at spotting some skin cancers – as study shows melanoma no longer the biggest killer https://t.co/SdTSPzxClU
— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) October 11, 2023
The latest version of the software was fed more than 1,000 patient consultations to improve diagnostic accuracy. The AI then sorted through the data to distinguish between non-cancerous lesions and possible cancers, or ‘malignancies.’
Dermatologists then reviewed the AI software’s diagnoses. The results were astounding. The AI correctly diagnosed all 59 cases of melanoma, as well as 99.5 percent of all skin cancers overall, including melanoma and nonmelanoma cancers.
This represents a significant improvement from the first version’s level of accuracy of 83.8 percent. It also correctly identified pre-cancerous growths on the skin nearly 93 percent of the time, a 38 percentage point increase in accuracy compared to the first version.
Dr. Kashini Andrew, lead author of the study and the Specialist Registrar at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust in the UK, praised the AI’s rapid learning and improvement.
He attributed the high accuracy to advancements in AI training techniques and the quality of data used to train the AI. He also noted that the technology could free up more time for patients needing urgent attention.
I’ve been very vocal of my experience with Stage 0 Melanoma. It was great to talk with @scrippsnews’ Kristin Byrne about the latest app that can help aid in skin cancer detection. https://t.co/siXEiWyUs8
— Kait_Lately (@Kait_Lately) September 26, 2023
However, the researchers emphasized that AI should not replace human doctors. Despite its impressive accuracy, the AI software missed one case of basal cell carcinoma, a type of non-melanoma skin cancer.
This was caught by a ‘safety net’ system in which a doctor reviewed what the technology missed. Dr. Irshad Zaki, Consultant Dermatologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and co-author of the study, stressed that AI is not a substitute for Consultant Dermatologists.
This breakthrough underscores the potential of AI in healthcare. While it cannot replace human expertise, it can significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy and speed, potentially saving countless lives.
As we continue to harness the power of technology, we move closer to a future where early detection and treatment of deadly diseases like melanoma become the norm rather than the exception.
