Introducing ‘Mia’, AI-based Breast Screening Technology to Detect Interval Cancers
Grampian team pioneers breast screening Artificial Intelligence
A new AI software called Mia can identify potentially fatal breast cancers belonging to the family of interval cancers. Despite access to world-class breast cancer detection tools, oncologists are unable to predict the occurrence of ‘interval’ cancers. An interval cancer spreads very fast, and often has the worst prognosis compared to other types of cancer groups that are found on screening mammograms. Considered as a global killer, interval cancers require regular breast screening compared to other types of cancers. To solve the problem linked to the timely detection of interval cancers, Artificial Intelligence-based breast screening technology could be very useful. AI-based breast screening technology can detect abnormalities that are often missed between two sessions of screening tests.
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What is Mia Breast Screening AI Software?
Mia is an advanced breast screening technology software created by Kheiron Medical. Mia AI software program is now being evaluated in Grampian’s Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The 3 year-long project was funded as part of the Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (iCAIRD) by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The recent research project undertaken by the University of Aberdeen, NHS Grampian and Kheiron Medical Technologies found Mia could have notified 34.1% of high-risk women population who went to develop symptoms linked to interval cancers. The research analyzed results from 220,000 unique mammograms collected from more than 55,000 people. This clinical data set helped in determining the accuracy of Mia AI technology in the interval cancer detection between screenings.
Currently, it is a norm to consult two experts between each mammogram to ensure abnormalities are not missed during screening. It is left to the experts to conclude if the woman should be invited back for additional breast screenings, or if she should consult another expert. Mia removes the need to rely on multiple consultants as it lets AI do all the examination and recommendation.
Dr Clarisse de Vries, Radiology Imaging Researcher, at the University of Aberdeen said, “Our finding is a massive step forward in using AI technology in diagnostic medicine – we showed that once ‘tuned’ to the local environment, AI can be of enormous benefit to clinicians and importantly, people who may be at risk of developing cancer.”
Professor Anderson highlights that: “The research also identified that ongoing quality assurance monitoring is essential due to changes in the performance of Mia with updates to the mammography machine software”.
Consultant radiologist Dr Gerald Lip has been instrumental in embedding Mia in clinical settings: “When originally applied to the data from NHS Grampian, Mia was too sensitive – recommending the recall of women for further investigation when it may not be necessary. However, Mia’s performance markedly improved when adjusted to suit the local conditions and technology recalling a minimum number of women possible while maintaining a high cancer detection rate.
“The GEMINI (Grampian’s Evaluation of Mia in an Innovative National breast screening Initiative) project was born as an innovative collective to understand the impact of introducing AI into the breast screening programme within NHS Grampian. GEMINI brings all of the strands of research, software, tech industry and the patients’ healthcare outcomes together.”
Dr De Vries explains: “Our results show that AI, and in this case Mia, offers huge potential for detecting cancers that may otherwise be missed.
“Fundamentally however, our study shows that AI tools must be tested first and tuned for the local population and conditions and we have been fortunate to have been able to do just that here in Grampian.
“Previously, it was unclear whether AI tools developed elsewhere could be used in different settings and screening centres. Now we know there are risks in just taking an AI tool developed elsewhere and implementing it locally. You must first test the tool on the local data to ensure it will work as expected.”
Peter Kecskemethy, CEO of Kheiron, said: “Working with NHS Grampian and University of Aberdeen teams has been an immense privilege. They are the UK pioneers of how AI technology should be evaluated and implemented in radiology and we could not be more excited about collaborating on the next stage of the journey, which is assessing how best to use Mia in a live clinical setting.”
Professor Roger Staff, Head of imaging Physics at NHS Grampian, added: “This is a critical study, identifying the steps required to get this technology into service. Although the results indicate that the technology is not quite ‘plug and play,’ it has the potential for major health and operational gains for the service”.
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