AI as an independent second reader in detection of clinically relevant breast cancers within a population-based screening programme in the Netherlands: a retrospective cohort study
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer screening programmes have shown to reduce mortality, but current methods face challenges such as limited mammographic sensitivity, limited resources, and variability in radiologist expertise. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers potential to improve screening accuracy and efficiency. This study simulated different screening scenarios, evaluating the performance of population-based breast cancer screening when using an AI system as a stand-alone reader or second reader.
METHODS
In this retrospective cohort study, 42 236 consecutive 2D mammograms from 42 100 women attending the Dutch population-based breast cancer screening between Sept 1, 2016, and Aug 31, 2018 were processed by an AI-based cancer detection system (Transpara version 1.7.0, ScreenPoint Medical). Verified outcomes from the Netherlands Cancer Registry on screen-detected cancers, interval cancers, and later-in-future-detected breast cancers were available with 4-year follow-up. We compared sensitivity, specificity, and recall-rate between single human reading, double human reading, stand-alone AI reading, and combined single human reading with AI. Furthermore, we assessed potential differences in performance regarding breast density, tumour size, lymph-node positivity, and invasiveness between cancers identified by single human readers and AI alone.
FINDINGS
After follow-up, 580 mammograms (579 woman) were labelled positive: 291 screen-detected cancers, 102 interval cancers, and 187 future…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 42 participants or records.
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