Advances in the use of artificial intelligence for colorectal cancer screening

The European Microb-AI-ome project is collaborating with Ireland’s National Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme and its technology partner Viatel to improve artificial intelligence-assisted detection of colorectal cancer.

Ireland’s National Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (BowelScreen) is participating in the EU-funded Microb-AI-ome project, which is investigating how artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted analysis of gut microbiome data could improve colorectal cancer detection in the future. The project aims to improve early detection of colorectal cancer and promote more accurate and efficient screening methods across Europe.

Colorectal cancer is a major health and economic problem, as it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Europe. In 2022, more than 360,000 new cases were diagnosed and nearly 161,000 deaths were recorded. Each year, the disease costs Europe billions of euros in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Colonoscopy is the gold standard for detecting colorectal cancer, and a faecal immunological test is usually performed before this procedure to see if it is necessary. By using AI to improve early detection, the Microb-AI-ome team aims to reduce the number of unnecessary colonoscopies and improve patient outcomes. BowelScreen is collaborating with technology partner Viatel Technology Group in Ireland to support this research. It has also facilitated patient enrolment at three research hospitals in Ireland. These patients must provide stool samples for microbiome analysis.

Data collection and privacy assurance

For AI analysis to be successful, a large and diverse dataset is needed from the people who voluntarily participate in the screening programme. Microb-AI-ome’s platform anonymises all sensitive information and stores it in secure databases in the cloud to protect the privacy of participants. Security and compliance were critical factors in the development of the platform, which is fully compliant with Irish law and the General Data Protection Regulation, ensuring maximum patient confidentiality and data protection.

Viatel was commissioned to develop a customised cloud-based data management tool to manage the Irish repository, based on Microsoft Azure technology. “The platform we have developed with Viatel will allow us to analyse a large volume of metadata generated from participants’ faecal samples and convert it into an interpretable signal indicating whether or not a person is at risk,” says BowelScreen’s clinical director, Pádraic Mac Mathúna, in a story published on Viatel’s website.

James Finglas, CEO of Viatel Digital Services, describes the tool as “revolutionary for the potential use of AI in population-based cancer screening programmes”. He adds: “It analyses millions of data points per patient to identify individual risk of pre-cancerous lesions or colorectal cancer. As a result, this technology could help determine who needs a colonoscopy, in order to generate positive outcomes for patients.

This initiative, which is part of the Microb-AI-ome (Federated artificial intelligence for privacy-preserving international stratification of colorectal cancer patients) project, highlights the growing potential of AI to promote future healthcare innovation. “This is a great example of how AI can be used in tangible and beneficial ways. There is a lot of talk about AI these days, and we are very proud to be making a real difference in our work to make the most of Microsoft’s AI solutions,” concludes Finglas.

More information: CORDIS