A Tulane University researcher found that artificial intelligence (AI) can accurately detect and diagnose colorectal cancer from tissue scans as well or better than pathologists, according to a new study in the journal Nature Communications.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from Tulane, Central South University in China, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Temple University, and Florida State University, was designed to test whether AI could be a tool to help pathologists keep pace with the rising demand for their services.

Pathologists evaluate and label thousands of histopathology images on a regular basis to tell whether someone has cancer. But their average workload has increased significantly and can sometimes cause unintended misdiagnoses due to fatigue.

“Even though a lot of their work is repetitive, most pathologists are extremely busy because there’s a huge demand for what they do but there’s a global shortage of qualified pathologists, especially in many developing countries,” said Dr. Hong-Wen Deng, professor and director of the Tulane Center of Biomedical Informatics and Genomics at Tulane University School of Medicine. “This study is revolutionary because we successfully leveraged artificial intelligence to identify and diagnose colorectal cancer in a cost-effective way, which could ultimately reduce the workload of pathologists.”

To conduct the study, Deng and his team collected over 13,000 images of colorectal cancer from 8,803 subjects and 13 independent cancer centers in China, Germany and the United States. Using the images, which were randomly selected by technicians, they built a machine-assisted pathological recognition program that allows a computer to recognize images that show colorectal cancer, one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in Europe and America.

“The challenges of this study stemmed from complex large image sizes, complex shapes, textures, and histological changes in nuclear staining,” Deng said. “But ultimately the study revealed that when we used AI to diagnose colorectal cancer, the performance is shown comparable to and even better in many cases than real pathologists.”

The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve or AUC is the performance measurement tool that Deng and his team used to determine the success of the study. After comparing the computer’s results with the work of highly experienced pathologists who interpreted data manually, the study found that the average pathologist scored at .969 for accurately identifying colorectal cancer manually. The average score for the machine-assisted AI computer program was .98, which is comparable if not more accurate.

Using artificial intelligence to identify cancer is an emerging technology and hasn’t yet been widely accepted. Deng’s hope is that the study will lead to more pathologists using pre-screening technology in the future to make quicker diagnoses.

“It’s still in the research phase and we haven’t commercialized it yet because we need to make it more user friendly and test and implement in more clinical settings. But as we develop it further, hopefully it can also be used for different types of cancer in the future. Using AI to diagnose cancer can expedite the whole process and will save a lot of time for both patients and clinicians.”

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men and women, and is by far the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for almost 25% of all cancer deaths. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

Low-dose CT lung cancer screenings – offered at Tulane Lakeside and Tulane Medical Center in downtown New Orleans – can help detect lung cancers at their earliest stages, when they are most treatable.

"The earlier you find the cancer, the better the prognosis," said Mark Sides, MD, PhD, head of Tulane's Thoracic Oncology Program. "This screening can save your life. Five-year survival rates go down dramatically with each stage of the disease. If we can catch stage 1 – when lung cancer is typically asymptomatic – then it's a surgical issue. The surgeon goes in, removes the tumor and the patient is cured."

Below, Dr. Mark Sides discusses Tulane's Lung Cancer Care Program.

November 18 is the 46th annual Great American Smokeout^®, an opportunity to commit to a smoke- and tobacco-free life – not just for a day, but year-round.

Encourage someone you know to make a plan to quit and initiate a smoking cessation plan during the Great American Smokeout^® event, November 18.

Visit cancer.org/smokeout to start the journey.

After a one-year postponement due to COVID-19, the Tenth Annual Blue Ribbon Soirée, benefiting Dr. Oliver Sartor's Prostate Cancer Research Program here at Tulane, took place October 14 at the Baton Rouge Renaissance Hotel. This wine- and food-tasting cocktail event – featuring cuisine and beverages from 20 vendors – also includes silent and live auctions, a raffle and a cork pull.

Forty-eight corporate and individual sponsors helped raise $155,000 this year, bringing the 10-year cumulative total raised to approximately $986,000. However, the organizers expect to eclipse the $1 million mark before the end of the year, as Soirée has been selected as the beneficiary of Calandro Supermarket's Annual Rare Whiskey Raffle, taking place next month at their Perkins Road location in Baton Rouge.

Soirée was started by the friends and families of Drs. Larry Ferachi and Joel Nasca, who sadly lost their battles with prostate cancer. Joel and Larry conducted extensive research and traveled the country participating in clinical trials. They were most impressed with Dr. Oliver Sartor.

"We feel it is important to continue in Joel & Larry’s quest to help Dr. Sartor, who has devoted his life to finding a cure," said Kathy Lato, one of the planning committee co-chairs. "We have witnessed firsthand the emotional and physical suffering this horrendous disease carries with it, and we hear about new people – friends and family members – being diagnosed each year. But we are also thrilled to learn about the new discoveries in prostate cancer treatments that Dr. Sartor and his team are helping to advance and to realize that the funds we raise are supporting this progress is extremely satisfying and motivating for all of us."

"Knowing the hard work and time that goes into planning the Soirée fills me with a great sense of responsibility to leverage the funds raised by investing them in research that has the greatest potential to make inroads against this disease," said Dr. Sartor. "There is much more to learn before our battle is won, but thanks to the supporters of the Blue Ribbon Soirée, our research will continue and our patients will benefit from the progress their generosity has made possible."

For more information on the Blue Ribbon Soirée, visit www.blueribbonsoiree.org.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, New Orleans City Council Member Kristen Gisleson Palmer (far left) presented proclamations to breast cancer survivors recently honored by the local grassroots fundraising organization Krewe de Pink at their 2021 Death by Chocolate Not Breast Cancer event. Three of the six survivors honored at the event attended the ceremony at New Orleans City Council, along with Carol Osborne, Krewe de Pink President Emeritus (second from left). Survivors receiving proclamations included: Sharon Carter Sheridan (center), Ann Herren (second from right), and Jean Benjamin Vappie (far right).