Baptist testing AI algorithm with knack for detecting lung cancer
Dr. Ray Osarogiagbon, chief scientist at Baptist Memorial Health Care and director of the cancer center’s thoracic oncology research group, is working with an an AI tool called Sybil to analyze low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans to detect future lung cancer risk. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
With only one scan, an AI tool called Sybil detects who will develop lung cancer five or six years down the road, with more than 90% accuracy.
One of the reasons the research is important in the Mid-South is that the incidence of histoplasmosis spots on lungs is high for people who live on the Mississippi River corridor.
Doctors don’t know if they are cancerous or benign unless they follow them for years, which requires more scans or biopsies.
If the algorithm can accurately predict who is going to develop lung cancer, doctors can stop worrying so much about the people not likely to develop lung cancer “and focus on this other group, irrespective of whether they currently have a spot on their lungs,” Osarogiagbon said.
Topics
Sybil Dr. Raymond Osarogiagbon Baptist Cancer Center Subscriber OnlyThank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization with a hybrid business model, we rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and miscellaneous earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.