Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's medical faculty found that
Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist less experienced doctors in better-spotting tumors during colonoscopies. Scientists developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that successfully identified smaller growths called adenomas, which might otherwise go undetected, Dr Louis Lau Ho-shing, an assistant professor of medicine and therapeutics, emphasized. AI tool identifies smaller growths that are usually undetectable According to the (SCMP), the researchers noted that this AI tool is especially good at identifying 'smaller growths which might otherwise go undetected' and could progress to if missed. Ho-shing told that the team hoped AI would reduce the "miss rate" in spotting such lesions. The integration of AI into colonoscopies at the university's medical faculty began in 2021, alongside the research conducted from April 2021 to July 2022. AI in colonoscopies aims to reduce the "miss rate" in spotting lesions, particularly adenomas, which could progress to
cancer if missed. The tool acts as an "extra pair of eyes" for doctors, improving the detection rates of tumors, especially among less experienced doctors. Traditional colonoscopies, however, required "a high level of multitasking," Ho-shing explained. According to , medical professionals employ "a flexible tube to insert a tiny camera into the patient's colon through the rectum" to conduct a regular colonoscopy. Ho-Shing noted that doctors who were fatigued or less experienced risked missing smaller lesions. "If these are missed, there is a chance they can progress to cancer in the future." He further mentioned that the AI tool functioned like an "extra pair of eyes," identifying potential tumors within the video footage. In short, the AI tool assists junior doctors during colonoscopies by analyzing video footage from the endoscope and identifying potential tumors. It aids in detecting adenomas, particularly those smaller than five millimeters (mm) in diameter. Additionally, the medical faculty has developed an AI-based platform called AI-Endo to aid in training doctors for early-stage gastrointestinal cancer surgery. AI-Endo uses surgical statistics and assists doctors in predicting surgical steps in real time, aiming to reduce the learning curve for less experienced surgeons. Public hospitals in Hong Kong purchased the AI without any governing guidelines, Ho-Shing said. He also hoped the study's results would encourage broader adoption of the AI tool.