Artificial intelligence (AI) is still in its infancy, but Tools for early detection and treatment of many diseases. The specific case of breast cancer has the ability to establish new standards for screening programs among the population.
And AI is already a reality that allows suspicious lesions to be identified very accurately and quickly.Therefore, the work of the radiologist is facilitatedhelps you (as an automated test reader) prioritize urgent research and reduce your reading load. In this context, oncologist Javier Cortés, a world leader in the fight against HER2+ breast cancer and the originator of some of the biggest advances in oncology in recent years, explains where in the breast cancer process AI can actually be effective.
40 million women worldwide will live with breast cancer
According to data from cancer-related societies, it is estimated that nearly 40 million women worldwide (twice as many as today) will be affected by breast cancer by 2040. Dr. Cortes has led some of the most important clinical trials. Replace aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy with more effective targeted therapiessafer and less toxic.
This oncologist is one of the great promoters of personalized medicine applied to breast cancer, a champion of approaches that allow treatments to be tailored to the specific characteristics of each patient, and a qualified expert to teach us about AI and its effects in the field of breast cancer diagnosis. Current and future applications.
AI is already transforming breast oncology clinical practice, as doctors describe it: It will definitely continue to be optimized in the future.. This process already exists and is part of our lives, so it cannot be considered a threat. So we have two options. Either we close our eyes and get on with it, or we try to adapt and optimize in a way that helps us, especially our patients. ”
Useful and accurate artificial intelligence in radiology and pathological anatomy
“There are two areas where AI is working in pretty compelling ways: one is in radiology, for example in many places already. Automatic reading of mammography and ultrasound examinations is also possible. After that, of course, the doctor will supervise you, but the first speed reading has already been done. ”
Furthermore, this screen is of great importance in society regarding breast cancer and is “improved every day. It is optimized every time a new reader is created. put in databaseSo if there are 1, 2, or 3 million mammogram exams today, there will be 20, 30, or 100 million in a short period of time. “You can learn by adding diagnostics.”
The second important area of AI is pathological anatomy, or “the field of pathology itself.” Currently, AI is highly accurate regarding: We provide diagnostics, especially from a biomarker perspective. I would say that sometimes he does it better than some pathologists. So the bottom line is that this tool makes diagnosis faster and more accurate,” says Dr. Javier Cortés.
Will AI eliminate many doctors and radiologists? “No.”
“I would argue that artificial intelligence will improve itself as more diagnoses are added.” Does this mean we will need fewer doctors and radiologists? Experts say, “No, not at all. What this means is that We need to reinvent and optimize ourselves. “Someone will have to manage the automation and machinery, and other positions will be created in their place.”
The truth is that the introduction of this tool “will speed up the work and allow hospitals to make 1,000 diagnoses instead of 100 or 200. And it will definitely improve the efficiency of the system, and most of all, Radiology and pathology”.
As for the immediate future, oncologists are confident that “AI will help us.” Improve diagnostic and treatment processes;That means you enter your patient data and the machine tells you the best treatment. To this day, it’s still not very accurate. In fact, there were several attempts we reviewed that found errors. Still not as accurate as a pathology expert. Of course, doctors in small towns who have to deal with many diseases will be greatly helped by AI. ”
“AI is contributing to the design of better medicines”
Another important context: “What we have to remember is that AI is helping us design better drugs, more efficient drugs. But not just in breast cancer, but in general.” We are starting to use a more accurate algorithmic process“With these properties and these molecules, this drug will have higher potency, efficacy and stability than other drugs, meaning it will be of great help in optimizing pharmaceutical research.”
As for the great discoveries of this expert and his team, it’s worth noting that this treatment, which has changed survival rates for thousands of women with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer, was led by Spanish oncologist and researcher Dr. Javier Cortés Castán. his task accomplished Transforming one of the most aggressive types of cancer into a more manageable diseaselife expectancy has increased in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. And we achieved this thanks to the international clinical trial DESTINY-Breast03, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In his own words, “There is a group of drugs called. “Trojan horse” or immune complexthese are revolutionizing the world of cancer in general and breast cancer in particular. We have seen that these “Trojan horses” need to be used within a short period of time (actually as soon as they are approved by the health authorities) when early metastases appear. “This way, we don’t have to wait to start chemotherapy and can use these drugs for all types of tumors, especially triple-negative breast cancer.”