New York City hospital embracing artificial intelligence to help detect breast cancer in mammograms
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A local hospital is using artificial intelligence to help impact breast cancer detection with every mammogram.
A new AI program that reads mammograms has only been in use for about two months at Murray Hill Radiology, but it could make a massive impact on how breast cancers are found.
"AI mammography is a specialized computerized program that helps to find breast cancers on the screen and helps radiologists guide them to areas of specific concern," said Dr. Barbara Baskin, a breast radiologist at Murray Hill Radiology. "It's been trained using a million images of the breast and has been trained on 8,000 biopsy-proven breast cancers."
Right after a patient gets screened, their mammogram goes into a computer program and an algorithm takes about eight minutes to process.
Using the million images in its database, the AI marks areas on the mammogram as high, medium or low concern.
"Medical studies have shown that using AI mammography increases the breast cancer detection rate of about 20%," Baskin said. "Without having to do any additional imaging, additional biopsies, there aren't any increased false positives."
Another benefit to the new computer program is the fact that it's not human.
"AI mammography is like having another set of expert eyes looking at the mammogram, and it's eyes that don't get tired or distracted," Baskin said.
But it's still up to a human radiologist to decide how to follow up on areas of cancer.
Baskin said patients still need the personal type of care a computer could never give, but they are embracing the new technology.
"With increasing the detection of breast cancer, which this does, you're saving lives," she said. "I'm very excited about the potential of this. I think it's a great tool, I really find it to be very useful. And I think it's going to be all positive for patients in terms of early detection for breast cancer."
"Breakthroughs For Breast Cancer," a WABC-TV special hosted by Liz Cho, airs at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8 on Channel 7 and wherever you stream Eyewitness News.
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