Kiwi developed artificial intelligence (AI) will soon be used to screen thousands of patients in the early stages of melanoma, after new research found the tech can diagnose almost as accurately as a doctor.
Experts say the new AI algorithm developed by melanoma diagnostic service MoleMap could be used to help address a chronic shortage of dermatologists and skin cancer doctors practising in New Zealand and other parts of the world.
Skin cancer, including non-melanoma and the more deadly melanoma, is New Zealand’s most common cancer with an estimated 90,000 non-melanoma skin lesions diagnosed each year.
New Zealand and Australia have the world’s highest rates of melanoma with 4,000 new cases and over 350 Kiwis dying from this form of cancer every year.
The new Skin cancer Management with ARTificial Intelligence (SMARTI) technology, which has been shown to have an accuracy rate of over 90%, works by comparing benign skin lesions with known cases of malignant melanoma.
The algorithm behind the AI has been developed in a partnership between MoleMap and cancer researchers at Melbourne’s Monash University
The results of the trials found the system was capable of identifying melanoma in more than nine out of 10 cases.
Dr Franz Strydom, MoleMap medical director
“The new AI maps a patient’s suspicious lesions with the algorithm determining whether it is malignant or benign. While a doctor might see numerous lesions or melanomas over the course of their career, the computer also learns this information, but can formulate a diagnosis much faster,” said Dr Franz Strydom, MoleMap medical director.
He went on to say it is hoped the new AI will help address the chronic shortage of skin specialists in the country.
He says in New Zealand there is around one dermatologist for every 83,000 residents, around half the number of specialists in Australia.
He went on to say it is hoped the new AI will help address the chronic shortage of skin specialists in the country.
He says in New Zealand there is around one dermatologist for every 83,000 residents, around half the number of specialists in Australia.
Dr Strydom says melanoma can be cured in 98% of cases if diagnosed early.
“If it is not identified until a later stage then melanoma becomes more difficult and expensive to treat with a greater chance of treatment failure.
“We are encouraged by the study results with evidence suggesting the technology can generate a level of accuracy close to that of a doctor’s trained eye. There is also the potential for the AI to be used as a triage tool.
“This means New Zealand patients will have timely access to a diagnosis and we know the earlier the intervention the better the outcome for melanoma patients.
“The technology is currently being rolled across MoleMap clinics around New Zealand and we can see the potential applications for it to aid patients in rural areas where access to skin specialists is limited. Molemap has the world’s largest database of skin lesions, and the new AI could also be employed at a global level,” he says.
Dr Strydom says the new tech will be a complementary tool in the diagnosis of melanoma rather than an alternative to a healthcare professional.