Artificial Intelligence Takes Aim At Breast Cancer: Google Health

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — A study in the journal Nature suggests that artificial intelligence is more accurate than doctors in diagnosing breast cancer from mammograms.

A computer model designed by an international team, including researchers from Google Health, looked at X-ray images from nearly 29,000 women, mostly in the United Kingdom. The computer algorithm outperformed six radiologists in reading mammograms, according to the study released New Year's Day.

"Despite the existence of screening programmes worldwide, the interpretation of mammograms is affected by high rates of false positives and false negatives," the study said.

The AI system is capable of surpassing human experts in breast cancer prediction, and paves the way for clinical trials to improve the accuracy and efficiency of breast cancer screening, according to the study's researchers.

Prof Ara Darzi, report co-author and director of the Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, told the BBC, "This went far beyond my expectations. It will have a significant impact on improving the quality of reporting, and also free up radiologists to do even more important things."