Drawing in the organs of individual breast cancer patients and then creating precise radiation treatment plans can be much faster by using artificial intelligence models. It is just as reliable and accurate with AI. “And the time gained is crucial for the long term,” says researcher Nienke Bakx.
She conducted research at the Catharina Hospital in recent years. On Thursday, she received her doctorate from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Thanks to the newly developed AI models, the mapping of tumors and surrounding organs for breast cancer patients can be done largely automatically.
Until two years ago, this was done with “old-fashioned” manual work. Once the anatomy of the individual patient was imaged, the radiation plan – how best to administer radiation to destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy organs? – could be created. This, too, was done manually.
After a successful pilot, it was put into practice in May 2022. With the proviso, of course, the radiotherapists and lab technicians check everything, make any necessary adjustments, and give their approval. Bakx: “The greatest time savings are seen in the automatic drawing of the organs, about sixty percent of the time.
For drawing in the tumor about forty percent. If you express it in minutes, it saves half an hour per patient.” In addition to drawing in tumors and organs, AI models can also be used to create the radiation plan itself.
Here, too, the use of artificial intelligence proved succes.
