AI system learns to speak the language of cancer to enable improved diagnosis

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses an AI system that can accurately identify and classify cancer types and predict patient outcomes by "learning the language of cancer" through analyzing high-resolution tissue sample images. The system, called Histomorphological Phenotype Learning (HPL), was developed by an international team of AI and cancer researchers.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Overview of the AI System

1. What is the key capability of the AI system described in the article?

• The AI system, called Histomorphological Phenotype Learning (HPL), is capable of:
  • Accurately identifying and classifying different types of cancer (e.g. lung adenocarcinoma, squamous cell lung cancer) by analyzing high-resolution tissue sample images
  • Predicting patient outcomes and the likelihood of cancer recurrence based on the visual patterns and features it identifies in the tissue samples

2. How does the HPL system work?

• The system was trained on thousands of high-resolution tissue sample images from the Cancer Genome Atlas database
• It used a self-supervised deep learning algorithm to analyze the images and identify recurring visual patterns, textures, cell properties, and tissue architectures (called "phenotypes")
• The algorithm was able to recognize phenotypes associated with better or worse patient outcomes, without being provided any information about the samples or expected findings

3. How does the performance of the HPL system compare to human pathologists?

• When tested on distinguishing between lung cancer subtypes, the HPL system achieved 99% accuracy
• In predicting patient outcomes and cancer recurrence, the HPL system was 72% accurate, compared to 64% accuracy for human pathologists

[02] Potential Impact and Benefits

1. What are the potential benefits of the HPL system for cancer diagnosis and care?

• The HPL system could aid human pathologists by providing a fast, accurate "second opinion" on cancer diagnosis and prognosis
• This could lead to faster, more accurate cancer diagnoses and better-tailored treatment plans for patients
• The unbiased, mathematical analysis of the HPL system may also uncover new patterns and insights that human experts have not yet identified

2. How does the HPL system's approach differ from human pathologists?

• Unlike human pathologists who rely on years of training to visually identify cancer patterns, the HPL system "taught itself" to recognize these patterns through self-supervised deep learning
• The algorithm does not have any pre-conceived notions or biases, allowing it to potentially identify new insights that human experts may have overlooked

3. How can the HPL system improve over time?

• The researchers note that the system will become more accurate as additional data is added, allowing it to become more "fluent in the language of cancer"
• This suggests the HPL system has the potential for continuous improvement and refinement as more tissue sample images and patient data are incorporated