Guerbet and IBM Watson Health expand use of AI in medical imaging
Guerbet, a global specialist in contrast agents and solutions for diagnostic and interventional medical imaging, has signed a new agreement with IBM Watson Health to co-develop and co-commercialize an AI solution to help clinicians diagnose and monitor patients with prostate cancer. This agreement follows the first agreement signed in July 2018 between the two companies with the aim of using an AI program to help clinicians diagnose and monitor patients with liver cancer.
Under this second program, Guerbet and IBM will work to develop a tool using AI with the goal of helping to detect, segment, characterize, and monitor lesions over time. This AI approach may allow for faster and more informed diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men (13.5% of male cancer diagnoses worldwide, according to the WHO). The number of prostate MRIs is currently increasing by more than 10% per year, and a 2017 Lancet clinical study has shown that 27% of biopsies may be avoided and 18% of unseen cancers detected by using multiparameter MRI.
"The main diagnostic challenge with prostate cancer lies in identifying cancers requiring rapid treatment and those requiring only active surveillance, while avoiding unnecessary biopsies," said David Gruen, M.D., chief medical officer, imaging, IBM Watson Health. "For this reason, optimal patient outcomes depend on the rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatments that AI technologies can potentially help provide."
The AI solution for prostate will be designed for compatibility with most PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) visualization systems, which will make its direct integration into the workflows of healthcare professionals that much easier.
For more information, visit www.guerbet.com and ibm.com/watson/health.