Will Artificial Intelligence be a cure to cancer?

Will Artificial Intelligence be a cure to cancer?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is both the biggest fear and hope of humanity and it’s been on the agenda of the medicine world. With this technology, doctors are thought to be able to make more accurate diagnoses.

In these years when technology is advancing rapidly, artificial intelligence is one of the most anticipated technologies. What the famous physicist Stephen Hawking said about artificial intelligence, "Artificial intelligence is the best thing, or the worst thing that happens to humanity," is a summary of the controversy around this technology.

Artificial intelligence is defined as the ability of a computer or a computer controlled robot to perform various activities in a similar way intelligent living things do. What makes people be scared and hopeful is the possibility of the machine to become as smart as people.

The first encounter was in World War II

An Enigma machine that has reached today.
An Enigma machine that has reached today.

The first encounter with AI actually took place in World War II. It was thanks to Alan Mathison Turing asking: “Can machines really think?” Based on this thought, he developed a machine to break the Nazi’s communication device enigma, which was believed to be impossible to break, and he succeeded. That was the first service of AI to humanity. It’s not the only success of AI, though. According to the news of the recent year, AI is one step ahead of doctors…

AI is one step ahead of doctors in cancer diagnosis

AI can diagnose skin cancer more accurately compared to dermatologists.
AI can diagnose skin cancer more accurately compared to dermatologists.

In the recent months, more than 100,000 visuals were shown to the artificial intelligence system by a team of German, American, and French researchers to distinguish harmful skin lesions from the benign ones. A total of 58 dermatologists from 17 countries were tested and man and machine were competed. The result of the research is very surprising. According to the results, artificial intelligence achieved a 95 percent success, while doctors' success in the diagnosis was 87 percent.

Along with skin cancer, artificial intelligence studies are being carried out on the diagnosis of many types of cancer. For example, in the case of prostate cancer, Chinese researchers have developed an algorithm that can successfully diagnose cancer as well as the experts. Besides, the researchers at the University of Texas have developed a software that accurately identifies the shape of cancer tumors in head and neck. They say that this software will help radiation oncology specialists apply the treatment correctly.

Hope breast cancer

The results of more than 7,000 mammographies examined by artificial intelligence will be announced soon.
The results of more than 7,000 mammographies examined by artificial intelligence will be announced soon.
Collaborating with DeepMind Health, London Royal College researchers are trying to increase the hit rate of breast cancer screening with artificial intelligence-based techniques. The researchers examining 7 thousand 500 anonymous mammographies want to prevent misdiagnosis. The results of this study will be announced during the year.