AI Device Detects Signs of Colon Cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the marketing of a device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect signs of the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the US.

The FDA approved the GI Genius device to detect polyps and suspected tumors associated with colon cancer in real time during colonoscopies. The device uses AI based on machine learning to detect these signs of colon cancer.

Even highly trained physicians can miss lesions during colorectal cancer screenings, according to the FDA. This causes huge health risks for patients who have potential colon cancer.

“Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform health care to better assist health care providers and improve patient care," said Dr. Courtney H. Lias, acting director of the FDA's GastroRenal, ObGyn, General Hospital and Urology Devices Office, in a press release. "When AI is combined with traditional screenings or surveillance methods, it could help find problems early on, when they may be easier to treat."

Cancer of the colon and rectum is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the US, the FDA noted. Colorectal cancer usually begins in polyps and similar precancerous growths inside the colon and rectum. Doctors perform colonoscopies to look for changes in the colon and rectum that could indicate cancer. This procedure involves a thin tube with a camera at the end (called an endoscope) threading through the rectum and colon.

The newly approved GI Genius is meant to be used during colonoscopies. Using hardware and software powered by AI, it identifies areas of interest and marks them on the screen that displays what the endoscope is seeing in the colon and rectum. Clinicians will investigate areas the GI Genius device marks to look for possible polyps, lesions and tumors.

To assess the effectiveness of this device, researchers studied its use in 263 patients who were being screened for colorectal cancer. Standard colonoscopy without the GI Genius device correctly identified cancer in 42 percent of patients. When the GI Genius was used, that figure jumped to 55.1 percent.

This new device isn't meant to replace lab sampling or classify lesions as cancerous, the FDA noted. No adverse events were reported with the use of this device.

The FDA approved the GI Genius for Cosmo Artificial Intelligence, Ltd.

Talk to your health care provider about when you should undergo colorectal cancer screening.