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NHS Doctors Get AI 'Second Eyes' for Bowel Health
20 Nov
Summary
- AI tools are now approved for use in the NHS to detect bowel growths.
- These AI systems act as 'second pair of eyes' during colonoscopies.
- Bowel cancer affects around 42,000 people in the UK annually.
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is integrating artificial intelligence into bowel cancer screening protocols. Doctors can now utilize AI tools to assist in identifying precancerous growths, known as polyps, during colonoscopies. These advanced technologies function as a supplementary aid, alerting medical professionals to areas of potential concern that require closer inspection.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has granted conditional approval for five AI tools. This decision follows evidence suggesting their efficacy in detecting more polyps during examinations. The AI systems, trained on vast image datasets, will be deployed within NHS services for an observational period of four years while further data is collected.
This development arrives at a crucial time, as bowel cancer remains one of the most common cancers in the UK, affecting around 42,000 people annually. With recent concerns about rising incidence rates among younger adults, the integration of AI aims to enhance early detection and prevention efforts, potentially saving lives by identifying and removing polyps before they can develop into cancer.
