Doctors and researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can assist radiologists in detecting possible signs of breast cancer in mammograms.
AIIMS transferred the technology to Indian healthcare technology company BPL Technologies Ltd on September 16, marking a step towards further development, regulatory approval and possible deployment in hospitals.
The AI model is designed to work as a second reader for radiologists, particularly in hospitals where specialists in breast imaging are limited. It can flag areas of concern in mammograms and alert doctors to possible abnormalities that may require closer examination.
Dr Krithika Rangarajan, Associate Professor in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Oncoradiology at AIIMS, said the tool was developed as a safety net to reduce the possibility of cancers being missed during mammography.
The model was trained entirely using Indian data and was developed over around one to one-and-a-half years with initial funding from the Ministry of Education. It was retrospectively tested on around 3,000-4,000 patients at AIIMS.
According to Rangarajan, the model recorded a 99% negative predictive value at the threshold used in the study. This indicates that, within the study setting, around 99% of cases classified as having no cancer were correctly identified as negative. Performance can vary depending on the threshold and clinical setting.
The AI system has been running at AIIMS in trial mode for around a year. It is not currently being used to make clinical decisions, with patients continuing to receive reports from radiologists while researchers separately evaluate the technology.
BPL Technologies will now work on converting the research model into a finished product, conducting further development and validation, obtaining regulatory approvals and providing technical support for hospital deployment.
Rangarajan said the technology could potentially reach hospitals within around six months, subject to regulatory clearances.
The technology transfer was carried out in the presence of AIIMS Director Prof Nikhil Tandon and BPL Technologies CFO Ajay Jindal.
The development could eventually provide an additional support layer for mammography services, particularly in areas where access to specialist breast-imaging expertise is limited. However, the technology is intended to assist doctors rather than replace radiologists, and wider clinical use will depend on further validation and regulatory approval.
