Breast cancer Scotland: How thousands of women could be saved thanks to AI breast cancer screening

A collaboration between Kheiron Medical Technologies, NHS Grampian, the University of Aberdeen and Microsoft implemented an AI called Mia - which helped doctors find 12 per cent more breast cancers than in standard practice.

Thousands of Scottish women could be saved thanks to revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) technology being developed in Aberdeenshire, which can catch breast cancer in its earliest stages.

A collaboration between Kheiron Medical Technologies, NHS Grampian, the University of Aberdeen and Microsoft implemented an AI called Mia, which helped doctors find 12 per cent more breast cancers than in standard practice.

NHS Grampian, which serves more than 500,000 people, conducted the first formal prospective evaluation of Mia in the UK as part of a study with 10,889 patients. Through this evaluation, which was funded by the UK government, Mia helped medical staff detect more cancers.

The artificial intelligence Mia helped medical staff detect more cancers. Picture: PA

Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the Royal College of Radiologists, said: “We’re hugely encouraged by the recent progress made in using AI for breast screening. This trial's results, showing better cancer detection while reducing unnecessary recalls, are very promising and a big step forward.

“Detecting cancers earlier, especially the high-risk ones, means better chances for successful treatment. Clinical leads in the UK are currently planning how to introduce these technologies to the NHS in the best possible way and make the most of their potential.”

As part of a simulated workflow with AI augmentation, a workload reduction of up to 30 per cent was modelled. There is now hope the AI can be rolled out across the whole of the UK, potentially saving thousands of lives.

Barbara, from Aberdeen, was one of the first women in the UK to have her cancer detected by Mia. “My cancer was so small that the doctors said it would not have been picked up by the human eye,” she said.

Because her cancer was picked up at an earlier stage before spreading, Barbara now has a much better prognosis than her mother, who needed much more invasive treatment for her own breast cancer. “It’s a life saver, it’s a life changer,” Barbara said.

Dr Gerald Lip, who led the prospective trial at NHS Grampian, said: “If you pick up cancer under 15mm, most women now will have a 95 per cent survival rate.

“Not only did Mia help us find more cancers, most of which were invasive and high grade, but we also modelled that it could reduce the time it takes to notify women from 14 days to just three days, reducing significant stress and anxiety for our patients.”

Dr Lip said the study had demonstrated “there is a role for AI in the screening services”. He said the aim was to translate this work on a pan-Scotland and pan-UK level to benefit the two million women screened annually in the UK.

Professor Lesley Anderson, from the University of Aberdeen, said: “While our earlier research, led by Dr De Vries, suggested that Mia could spot more cancers, the GEMINI trial results left us amazed. If Mia were used in breast screening, it would mean that more cancers would be detected without putting more women through additional tests.”