NHS AI test spots tiny cancers missed by doctors

[J65nko]

From https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68607059:

An AI tool tested by the NHS successfully identified tiny signs of breast cancer in 11 women which had been missed by human doctors.

The tool, called Mia, was piloted alongside NHS clinicians and analysed the mammograms of over 10,000 women.

Most of them were cancer-free, but it successfully flagged all of those with symptoms, as well as an extra 11 the doctors did not identify.

At their earliest stages, cancers can be extremely small and hard to spot.

The BBC saw Mia in action at NHS Grampian, where we were shown tumours that were practically invisible to the human eye. But, depending on their type, they can grow and spread rapidly.

Note: NHS stands for for the UK National Health Service, that provides free health care.

[bsd-keith]

Actually, we British Citizens all pay National Insurance, which covers the NHS, but treatment is then 'free' when needed.....

[Head_on_a_Stick]

The NHS is covered by government funds. National Insurance payments are not used to cover NHS costs, the two are not directly connected. The myth that NI funds are needed to cover NHS spending is part of the neoliberal propaganda that is being used to dismantle and privatise the NHS.

Good news about the "AI" though

I would be interested to know the sensitivity and specificity of the AI model. I would expect the number of false positives would be higher than with a clinician.