Smart, innovative technology detects cancer early

Cai Wenjun
Cancer can be detected, diagnosed, and treated early and effectively thanks to smart technology, precision medicine, and innovative therapies.
Cai Wenjun


People can receive accurate pancreatic cancer screening during a routine health checkup, and patients with lung cancer and breast cancer can benefit from higher quality and better management thanks to smart technology, precise medicine, and innovative therapies.

Cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment are becoming more accessible, accurate, and effective, according to experts and industry insiders who spoke at this year's China International Import Expo.

Changhai Hospital experts announced in a livestreaming health education program that they used artificial intelligence to develop a model for accurate and early pancreatic cancer screening using standard CT scanning.

Pancreatic cancer is known as the "King of Cancer" because of its low survival rate and difficulty in early detection.

Smart, innovative technology detects cancer early
Ti Gong

The AI-based pancreatic cancer detection solution was published by the medical journal Nature Medicine.

Every year, nearly 120,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in China, and the number is increasing due to an aging population and changes in diet and lifestyle.

"Contrast-enhanced CT is usually used to detect pancreatic cancer, which ordinary CT cannot detect. However, patients who do not have symptoms will not choose an enhanced procedure," said Dr Cao Kai, a major project developer.

"So we created an intelligent model called PANDA that uses AI technology to detect tiny differences between pixels and perform detailed analysis to identify pancreatic cancer. The accuracy is greater than 92 percent. The model is widely used in clinical practice at our hospital. It can greatly improve the accuracy and timeliness of pancreatic cancer detection using a simple CT scan."

"In addition to pancreatic cancer, the model also can be promoted to other cancer scanning such as liver cancer and esophagus cancer, greatly improving cancer detection efficiency and allowing patients to receive early diagnosis and early treatment," he said.

Smart, innovative technology detects cancer early
Ti Gong

Zhou Lei, a breast cancer patient, shares her experience of Phesgo treatment.

Apart from pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, China's most common cancer, is a major target for smart management.

Roche Pharmaceuticals collaborated with medical experts, patient organizations, and the media to develop an intelligent whole-process lung cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation system for more effective and individualized patient care.

"Lung cancer services are tailored to patient needs, and innovative and intelligent methods such as AI are making treatment more precise. We are actively participating in the exploration and introduction of digital technologies such as AI to develop personalized treatment plans for each patient," said Dr Zhong Wenshao of the Guangdong Province Lung Cancer Institute.

Breast cancer, the most common female cancer, has been completely covered by targeted medicines as a result of accurate molecular testing and targeted medication.

Roche's Phesgo, the world's first anti-HER2 dual-target subcutaneous therapy for breast cancer, can now be administered via a single 5 to 8-minute subcutaneous injection, significantly reducing the dosing time from hours to minutes and providing patients with a new, faster, and less invasive treatment option.

Zhou Lei, a breast cancer patient on Phesgo treatment, expressed her appreciation for the introduction of this convenient and highly effective therapy.

"We can shed the long-term stigma of being a cancer patient because we have more time to be ourselves and spend less time on treatment. It's such a good feeling," she said.

With technological advancements, doctors now have more tools to combat breast cancer, which is increasingly being treated in outpatient clinics, communities, and homes. As a result, patients benefit from a better treatment outcome and a higher quality of life.



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