How AI Improves Early Breast Cancer Screening

During this month's annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Arterys highlights current breast cancer statistics, how vital early detection is, and how artificial intelligence imaging is making a solid mark in the ongoing fight.

Current Breast Cancer Statistics

Current estimates put U.S. breast cancer deaths around 43,780 (43,250 women and 530 men), with female breast cancer being the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Although research and advancements are making improvements, we currently still face:

• Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women, with 1 in 8 women developing invasive breast cancer.  
• Around 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 51,400 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer expected to be diagnosed in 2022.
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer globally as of 2021, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide. 
  
  

Early Detection is Key

The overall death rate from breast cancer decreased by 1% per year from 2013 to 2018. These decreases are partly the result of earlier detection through screening. Other notable facts highlighting the effects of early detection include:

• The American Cancer Society says the 5-year relative survival rate is 99% when breast cancer is detected early in the localized stage. 
• Breast self-exams, clinical exams, and mammograms are critical for early detection, with any person at any age able to get breast cancer.
• Early detection saves lives, with annual mammograms credited for reducing the mortality rate in the U.S. by nearly 40%. 

With early detection, diagnosis, and action at the localized stage leading to the highest survival odds, women must be encouraged to seek early screening, such as annual mammograms and digital Tomosynthesis.

How AI Helps With Early Breast Cancer Detection 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly cementing itself as a robust tool for early detection, and Arterys is leading the way as a world-class resource in AI imaging. 

Specifically, Arterys' Breast AI solution employs AI to:

• Enhance breast cancer detection
• Provide a world class cloud platform
• Drastically reduce turn around time (TAT)
• Provide personalized risk assessments

Below are four critical ways Arterys' Breast AI solution is helping early breast cancer screenings.

1) Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection 

Breast AI is raising the bar on detection performance. It is a high-performing, concurrent-read, cancer-detection and workflow solution that rapidly and accurately analyzes each tomosynthesis image, detecting both malignant soft tissue densities and calcifications with unrivaled accuracy.  

Breast AI:

• Improves breast cancer detection and accurately identifies women at high risk 
• Leverages a deep learning algorithm for accurate automated breast density assessment. It simplifies and standardizes breast density stratification and reporting with accurate and reliable results.

2) Provides a World Class Cloud Platform

Arterys' cloud-native platform provides enhanced workflows and overall efficiencies. 

Breast AI:

• Increases efficiency by reducing reading time by as much as 52.7% with automated detection and analysis of DTB images which assists in prioritizing caseloads and clinical decision-making.

• Optimizes workflow by providing access to results anytime through a single user interface and an internet connection.
  
  

3) Drastically Reduces TAT 

With Radiologists facing heavier workflows than ever, making the time between when an imaging exam is acquired and AI results are available to the radiologist (commonly referred to as TAT) has many impacts on workflow and productivity. 

Breast AI effectively reduces TAT from 45 minutes to 2 minutes for a cloud solution. A typical breakdown of TAT of a clinical 3D tomosynthesis analyzed with Arterys’ Breast AI can be seen below:

Reducing TAT allows radiologists to speed up workflows and gives patients faster results.

4) Provides Personalized Risk Assessments  

Breast AI offers a clinical decision support tool that provides each woman with an accurate, personalized short-term breast cancer risk estimation.

Learn More About Arterys' Breast AI 

Breast AI provides clinically proven benefits to clinicians and patients and is designed to optimize efficiency, enhance the patient experience, and improve outcomes. We encourage you to download the data sheet if you want to learn more.