Medical researchers and doctors already know that cancer DNA circulating in a patient's blood can be used as a tool to diagnose the disease. But it's unrealistic to ask medical technicians to look for those tiny specks of cancer coursing through the bloodstream. Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, can do the job much more easily than humans.
In their early tests, the researchers found that their new system was able to identify stage 1 lung cancer in 63 percent of patients who had it. That means it still missed the cancer in about one-third of those screened. This may sound unacceptable, and CT scans, which are often plagued by false positives, are usually more accurate. But it may not be a deal breaker for this new form of testing.
Because of the high cost of CT scans, many potential lung cancer patients simply can't get tested, which puts them at a higher risk of being diagnosed with more advanced cancers later in life. Blood tests that can detect cancer DNA in the blood may be an easy screening method that could save a significant number of lives.
The scientists who developed the system believe that using it in this way could extend the lives of up to 1,200 people a year. In addition, it is possible that the system could be modified to look for other types of cancer. This is a potentially revolutionary development in cancer screening, but it will be some time before we see these options in hospitals and clinics across the United States and around the world.
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