Artificial Intelligence In Colorectal Cancer Screening

Have you heard of the term Artificial Intelligence? Yes, right. The wave that has transformed mankind ever since its birth and that has been a long ongoing debate that exists in history is AI. 

Ever since its occurrence, artificial intelligence and machine learning have evolved many times unimaginable than any of the human inventions that ever came to exist. It has reached a stage where Artificial intelligence has left every stone unturned in the passage of time. It applies even to the medical field. It has hit a storm of cancer in the bullseye, where the screening and treatment have become far more accessible through high-level intelligence data and in-depth knowledge these computer applications provide. 

Welcome you all to today's blog; let us explore the role of artificial intelligence in colorectal cancer. 

What is Colorectal cancer?

The colon is the final part of the digestive tract where the waste substances that need to be eliminated are stored, and the rectum is the end part of the colon that connects the anus for smooth facilitation of the exit of the waste materials. So, as the name suggests, any tumor growth that is malignant that occurs in these areas indicates colorectal cancer. 

Symptoms Of Colorectal Cancer

Symptoms of colorectal cancer may include:

• You may experience persistent changes in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or changes in stool consistency).
• You may see visible blood in your stool.
• You may experience abdominal discomfort or pain.
• You may undergo a phase of unexplained weight loss.
• You may feel weak.

Know the numbers

Hey, there is nothing to worry about you developing colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is widespread and 3rd most common cancer in the world. So, there are many treatment options available. At some point in their lives, only about 4.1% of men and women will be affected by colorectal cancer. The beginning of March is marked as colorectal cancer awareness month 

Artificial intelligence- The supportive ally
 

The use of the mammoth: Artificial intelligence will have the ability to lower the death rates and incidence of people developing colorectal cancer. AI's built-in bioinformatics tools can assist in finding and screening more CRC biomarkers. AI-assisted pathology recognition technologies can decrease the rate of missing and incorrect diagnoses, increase pathologists' productivity, and lessen their workload. It will improve the outcomes with better incorporation into traditional colorectal cancer screening methods.
 

Image Analysis and Interpretation:

• AI algorithms can analyze medical images, such as colonoscopy and computed tomography (CT) scans, to identify suspicious lesions or polyps.
• These machine learning models are given large data sets and trained, they are much more accurate than the human and detect and classify the colorectal polyps, adenomas with increased accuracy than a human can possibly do.
• Radiomics is a term used to transform medical images into high-dimensional data that can be used to diagnose and predict the prognosis of cancer. The successful collaboration of AI with these platforms can obtain various useful information. Data like tumor segmentation, feature extraction, and model construction can be obtained that will be useful in evaluating the tumor. It has now become an inevitable part of CRC screening and treatment.
   

Computer-Aided Detection (CAD):

• CAD systems use AI algorithms that will assist radiologists and gastroenterologists in finding any abnormalities in medical images.
• During the screening process, AI algorithms, along with the CAD system, will pinpoint the area suspicious for tumor growth in the colonography or colonoscopy images. This will be an invaluable asset for doctors since it highlights areas that are inaccessible or not noticed by them.
• Various AI models are being used in the screening process. Some of them are Convolutional neural networks (CNN), Deep learning (DL), You only look once (YOLO), etc.

Virtual Colonoscopy and Telemedicine:

• AI-powered virtual colonoscopy platforms will have the advantage of being noninvasive when using CT imaging compared to traditional colonoscopy methods.
• As we know, the field of telemedicine is also blooming, where the incorporation of artificial intelligence and algorithms will help the patient, even from remote areas, to make an effective interpretation regulating the medical images and consultations and improve screening services along with better outcomes.

Cancer Care Redefined: Leading the Way with AI
 

• We all, at some point in our lives, would have waited for a doctor for our treatment. This is a fact that the world we live in has a lack of trained medical professionals. Nowadays, substantially fewer people receive screening colonoscopies than are advised by national standards. There are not enough gastroenterologists to perform the colonoscopy, which often causes a delay in diagnosis, During the time when the tumor advances.
• If effectively handled, artificial intelligence could alleviate the labor scarcity in the colonoscopy industry by accelerating the procedure.
• The accuracy these systems offer is unmatched. They detect the tumor polyps even in the areas that are minimal for human recognition. These accurate methods often surpass human capabilities.
• They even identify the tumor in its early stage, calculate its growth rate and the difficulties it could cause, including the rate of metastasis, and give a detailed output that helps doctors start treatment as early as possible.
• AI-driven risk prediction models can evaluate a person's risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) based on a number of variables, such as age, genetic predisposition, family history, lifestyle choices, and screening outcomes in the past.
• By identifying high-risk patients who can benefit from earlier or more frequent screening, these risk prediction algorithms offer individualized screening recommendations.
• By focusing screening efforts on high-risk populations and prioritizing those most likely to benefit from early identification and intervention, AI-driven screening programs can optimize resource allocation and lower healthcare expenditures. AI contributes to the efficient use of healthcare resources and lowers the financial burden of cancer treatment by increasing the cost-effectiveness of cancer screening programs.
   

To sum up

The successful integration of artificial intelligence into the medical arena especially in cancer care will be a big leap in reducing the incidence, improve the screening and offer better individualised treatment plans to patients that improves their quality of life. However the seamless transition of these complex systems still takes time to be a perfect dessert ready to be served. 

Despite the advancements they offer, issues related to bias, interpretability, overreliance, data privacy, regulatory oversight, and resource intensity make them a challenge to implement. As we know we live in the era of AI, various research innovations will offer better outcomes and make use of the full potential of AI in healthcare. 

                                                       "Artificial Intelligence: A Beacon of Hope in the Darkness of Cancer"