GE unites AI apps to detect breast cancer

  • December 13, 2023
  • Steve Rogerson

GE Healthcare has developed an all-in-one platform of artificial intelligence (AI) apps to support clinicians with breast cancer detection and improve workflow productivity.

Called MyBreast AI Suite, it integrates three AI applications from iCad – ProFound AI for DBT, SecondLook for 2D Mammography and PowerLook Density Assessment – to support early detection and improve patient outcomes, as well as help radiology departments improve operational productivity.

As the global cancer burden rises, radiologists face increasing difficulties such as burnout, workforce attrition and patient backlogs, placing strain on and testing the resiliency of health systems. In efforts to combat breast cancer, the healthcare community remains committed to early detection by leveraging methods, such as screening mammography, that have proven effective in identifying early breast cancers and reducing breast cancer-specific mortality.

However, with breast cancer now surpassing lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, clinicians are seeking tools that can address issues related to access, burnout, variability, equity and cost in breast imaging to elevate and enhance the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.

The introduction of MyBreast AI Suite aims to address these problems by providing an all-in-one platform that can seamlessly deploy AI to breast imaging workflow. With this initial release, the suite integrates three AI applications from iCad’s ProFound Breast Health Suite:

  • ProFound AI for DBT: Trained with one of the largest available 3D image datasets, ProFound AI for DBT provides radiologists with information, such as lesion certainty of finding and case scores, which assist in prioritising caseloads and clinical decision-making, and may help reduce burnout.
  • SecondLook for 2D Mammography: The SecondLook computer-aided detection system for mammography is to identify and mark regions of interest on screening and diagnostic mammograms from GE HealthCare’s full-field digital mammography (FFDM) systems to bring them to the attention of the radiologist after an initial reading has been completed.
  • PowerLook Density Assessment: This tool helps standardise breast density assessment and reduce variability across multiple radiologists; simplify and standardise reporting and stratification for clinicians; and enables clinicians to provide women with accurate and reliable breast density assessments based on AI mammogram analysis.

Studies show the deployment of these digital options can assist in prioritising case load and clinical decision-making. For example, an iCad reader study shows radiologists reading with ProFound AI for DBT increases reader sensitivity by 8%, increases reader specificity by 6.9% and decreases reading time by up to 52% compared with without.

“As part of GE HealthCare’s ongoing commitment to transform healthcare and improve patient outcomes, we continue to explore how we can leverage the power of AI in mammography to support the early detection of breast cancer,” said Pooja Pathak, GE vice president. “As screening guidelines continue to evolve and more attention is given to personal risk factors such as breast density, these kinds of tools are an important and exciting addition to our comprehensive portfolio of breast imaging technologies.”

Mario Lois, general manager of AI for women’s health, added: “Through this new all-in-one AI platform designed to offer radiologists enhanced clinical decision support and streamlined workflows, clinicians will be able to deliver more timely, accurate and personalised breast care in their practices today. We know that early detection is key and AI shows great promise in advancing breast cancer screening and transforming workflow for radiologists.”

MyBreast AI Suite will first be available in the USA and will be distributed, installed and supported by GE HealthCare (www.gehealthcare.com) as part of the company’s Senographe Pristina mammography portfolio.