OSLO: Artificial intelligence is able to identify women who have an elevated risk of developing breast cancer several years before it is diagnosed, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said on Tuesday.

Five researchers from FHI, the University of Cali­fornia and the University of Washington were given acc­ess to a commercially available AI programme to retroactively analyse the mammographies of 116,495 women who took part in a Norwegian detection programme bet­ween 2004 and 2018. In total, 1,607 of the women developed breast cancer.

The algorithm was able to predict which women ran a higher risk of developing breast cancer, and even identify which breast was at risk, four to six years before a diagnosis.

“We noted that the breast which developed cancer had an AI score about twice as high as the other breast,” said Solveig Hofvind, who heads the detection programme and the AI project. “The study shows that the AI algorithms already available on the market can be used to develop more personalised detection programmes,” she said.

AI could be used for early detection of breast cancer, to reduce costs and better target at-risk populations, FHI said.

According to the World Health Organisation, 670,000 women died of breast cancer in 2022, the most common form of cancer among women in most countries. The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Associa­tion Net­work, which edits a collection of prestigious medical journals.

The Norwegian detection programme also laun­ched a project last year involving 140,000 women to determine whether AI could be as efficient as, or even better than, radiologists to diagnose cancer cases.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025

Opinion

From hard to harder

From hard to harder

Instead of ‘hard state’ turning even harder, citizens deserve a state that goes soft on them in delivering democratic and development aspirations.

Editorial

Canal unrest
Updated 03 Apr, 2025

Canal unrest

With rising water scarcity in Indus system, it is crucial to move towards a consensus-driven policymaking process.
Iran-US tension
03 Apr, 2025

Iran-US tension

THE Trump administration’s threats aimed at Iran do not bode well for global peace, and unless Washington changes...
Flights to history
03 Apr, 2025

Flights to history

MOHENJODARO could have been the forgotten gold we desperately need. Instead, this 5,000-year-old well of antiquity ...
Eid amidst crises
Updated 31 Mar, 2025

Eid amidst crises

Until the Muslim world takes practical steps to end these atrocities, these besieged populations will see no joy.
Women’s rights
Updated 01 Apr, 2025

Women’s rights

Such judgements, and others directly impacting women’s rights should be given more airtime in media.
Not helping
Updated 02 Apr, 2025

Not helping

If it's committed to peace in Balochistan, the state must draw a line between militancy and legitimate protest.