Finnish AI software improves care for cancer patients

Radiation therapy plays an important role in the treatment of cancer. For each cancer patient receiving radiation therapy, a detailed treatment plan is established to determine where and how radiotherapy is administered. Factors to consider in a treatment plan include the size and location of the tumor, as well as possible metastases. Until now, a physician had to define the radiotherapy target by manually delineating the structures on multiple x-ray image slices of the patient. These images can go into the hundreds and trace dozens of critical tissue structures, leading to a lengthy and error-prone process. MVision's artificial intelligence has been trained on hundreds of patient images, allowing the software to automatically delineate critical tissue structures for the physician to review and approve.

"The AI ​​in radiotherapy planning benefits cancer patients worldwide," said Mahmudul Hasan, CEO of MVision. "On January 23, we started planning radiotherapy treatment using AI in two hospitals; the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy of the Turku University Hospital (Tyks) and the Docrates Cancer Center of Helsinki. The initial deployment of artificial intelligence software is intended for patients with prostate cancer, but it will soon be compatible with other types of cancer, including head and neck cancers and bad cancer. "

"Artificial intelligence allows for more personalized care for cancer patients. While the software supports the basic process of radiation therapy planning, the physician can focus more on the individual needs of the patient, taking into account the spread and aggressiveness of cancer, "said Timo Kiljunen, Adjunct Professor and Medical Physicist. Docrates Cancer Center.

"AI accelerates the work of the physician and allows for the development of consistent and consistent treatment plans at the hospital level, not just at the physician level. With a high number of cancer patients, a fast treatment plan can also help reduce waiting times, "said Heikki Minn, professor and head of Tyks' Oncology and Radiotherapy Department.

For its next step, MVision is seeking to enter the global market. "As the number of cancer patients continues to increase, a critical shortage of qualified hospital staff continues to exist in many European countries. This problem can be alleviated with the help of our AI, while ensuring a high and consistent quality of radiotherapy treatment for all patients, which also helps to reduce waiting times, "said Hasan. .