Artificial intelligence 'spotted' my breast cancer

Sheila Tooth was given the all clear before AI software found her breast cancer

Mark Norman A close-up image of Sheila Tooth. She has long blond hair worn in a plait. She is wearing a grey top and is sitting on a white chair with a cream wall behind. — Sheila Tooth was given the all clear before AI software found her breast cancer

A woman is “deeply grateful” to artificial intelligence for finding her breast cancer after she was given the all clear following a routine scan.

Sheila Tooth from Littlehampton, West Sussex, had a mammogram at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which is using AI to improve breast cancer screening by spotting cancer that human “readers” might miss.

The 68-year-old’s cancerous cells were almost undetectable and had not been spotted before they were found by AI.

“I’m deeply grateful for it to have been caught so early,” she said. “When I talk to friends, we just can’t believe this AI can detect what the human eye can’t always see. I just feel so lucky.

“Being 68, this may have been my last mammogram, so my early cancer might have developed into invasive cancer in my 70s.”

UHSussex is one of 15 trusts across the country that participated in a project using AI to analyse mammograms.

During the two-month scheme, more than 12,000 mammograms that were considered “normal” were reviewed using AI.

UHSussex said the AI software suggested that just under 10% of the mammograms be re-read by a clinical panel to identify any potential cancers that were not detected in the initial screening.

Upon further review, 11 women were asked to come back for investigation, and five were found to have breast cancer.

‘So exciting’

Mark Norman An image of Dr Olga Strukowska looking at the camera. She has shoulder-length wavy brown hair and is smiling. She is wearing a pink top and is in front of a mammogram. — Dr Olga Strukowska

Dr Olga Strukowska, consultant radiologist and director at West Sussex breast screening programme, described AI screening as “exciting”.

“The earlier and more accurately we detect cancer, the better the chance our patients will have a positive outcome,” she said.

“That’s why this is so exciting. Using AI increases accuracy while reducing the number of missed cancers and lowering false positives.

“It empowers screening services to deliver confident, accurate, timely results through deep learning technology that works with radiologists and promotes high-quality standards of care for our patients.”

In Sussex, around 650 women every year are diagnosed with breast cancer following their screening. The programme invites women aged 50 to 71 for a screening every three years.

UHSussex now plans to take part in a national randomised controlled trial as part of the next phase of introducing AI into breast screening.

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