Cancer treatment will be sped up with the introduction of artificial intelligence to all radiotherapy departments, the Government has announced.
The use of the technology will see waiting times slashed as it can help to detect cancer cells 2.5 times faster than doctors alone.
In what has been hailed as an ‘exciting breakthrough’ in cancer care, AI will be rolled out to hospitals within three years and will benefit tens of thousands of patients.
The programme reviews CT or MRI scans to distinguish between cancerous cells and healthy organs, allowing targeted radiotherapy and stopping unnecessary damage.
Announcing the development at the AI Seoul Summit in South Korea today, Rishi Sunak is expected to praise it as an example of how to harness the potential of AI to help humanity.
The use of the technology will see waiting times slashed as it can help to detect cancer cells 2.5 times faster than doctors alone (stock image)
In what has been hailed as an ‘exciting breakthrough’ in cancer care, AI will be rolled out to hospitals within three years and will benefit tens of thousands of patients (stock image)
The programme reviews CT or MRI scans to distinguish between cancerous cells and healthy organs, allowing targeted radiotherapy and stopping unnecessary damage (stock image)
The Prime Minister’s speech reads: ‘Thanks to Bletchley [the pioneering AI Safety Summit held in Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire last year] we have created a legacy of international collaboration which means we are matching the pace of the technology.
‘AI-powered medical advances – like in radiotherapy – are evidence of this and we must take advantage of them.
‘That’s why we are pumping £15.5million into the NHS so it can be rolled out across England – to help cut waiting lists and make the UK the number-one place for AI innovation.’ It is hoped the AI assistance, which will be reviewed by medics before any treatment is given, will help to free up staff time.
Currently doctors have to map out radiotherapy treatment areas by hand, to ensure it is targeted at a patient’s cancer and avoids healthy organs.
Health leaders said the use of the technology would be another major step towards cutting NHS waiting lists.
Dr Imogen Locke, an NHS England radiotherapy specialist, said: ‘We are seeing a record number of referrals for suspected cancer, and game-changing tools like AI will help the NHS continue the significant progress made in tackling the longest waits for patients.’
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins (pictured) said: ‘This is an exciting breakthrough in our work to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment, and AI is helping to make our healthcare system faster, simpler and fairer’
The role of AI is growing across the NHS, with technology used to diagnose strokes now in operation at most hospitals in England (stock image)
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘This is an exciting breakthrough in our work to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment, and AI is helping to make our healthcare system faster, simpler and fairer.’
The role of AI is growing across the NHS, with technology used to diagnose strokes now in operation at most hospitals in England.
A recent study by the University of Warwick found it was just as accurate or more accurate than doctors’ analysis for 35 out of 37 conditions tested.
The Bletchley Park summit, held in November, was the first time that international leaders, AI firms, academics, and civil society came together to consider the risks of AI and tackle them together.
It resulted in the historic Bletchley Declaration, which was signed by 27 countries and the EU.
Source: Mail Online
