Why in news?

• Given the escalating cases of cancer, the shortage of specialists poses a significant challenge in curbing fatalities.
• To address this gap, Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), the biggest cancer hospital in India, is turning to artificial intelligence (AI).
• By establishing a Bio-Imaging Bank for cancer, the hospital is utilising deep learning to craft a cancer-specific tailored algorithm.

What’s in today’s article?

• Bio-Imaging Bank
• Role of AI in early cancer detection
• National Cancer Grid (NCG)

Bio-Imaging Bank

• Goal
  • The overarching goal is to create a robust repository encompassing radiology and pathology images, intricately linked with clinical information, outcome data, treatment specifics, and additional metadata.
  • It is strategically designed for the training, validation, and rigorous testing of AI algorithms.
• Functioning
  • Alongside database creation, the project involves training and testing multiple AI algorithms using the gathered data.
  • It will address medically relevant tasks such as:
    • screening for lymph node metastases,
    • nucleus segmentation and classification,
    • biomarker prediction, and
    • therapy response prediction.
• Institutions involved
  • The multi-institutional project is funded by the Department of Biotechnology, in collaboration with IIT-Bombay, RGCIRC-New Delhi, AIIMS-New Delhi, and PGIMER-Chandigarh.

Role of AI in cancer detection and treatment

• Early detection by identifying tissue changes and potential malignancies
  • AI analyses radiological and pathological images, learning from extensive datasets to recognise unique features associated with various cancers.
  • This technology facilitates early detection by identifying tissue changes and potential malignancies.
• Predictive models for tumour survival and guide treatment aggressiveness
  • Comprehensive imaging generates longitudinal patient data, aiding in understanding behaviour, treatment response, disease recurrence, and overall survival.
  • AI and machine learning protocols utilise this data to develop predictive models for tumour survival and guide treatment aggressiveness.
• Help avoid unnecessary chemotherapy
  • The creation of a tumour image bank allows to develop algorithms for different tumours, assess treatment responses directly from images, and avoid unnecessary chemotherapy for predicted non-responders.
• Help maintain diagnostic quality while decreasing the radiation exposure
  • Tata Memorial Hospital has already added the data of 60,000 patients into the biobank over the previous year.
  • Using this data, AI is successfully reducing radiation by enhancing images with AI algorithms.
  • This ensures a significant decrease in radiation exposure to children, maintaining diagnostic quality without compromise.
• Can help reduce cancer fatalities in the future
  • AI is poised to play a transformative role in cancer treatment, particularly in mitigating fatalities in rural India.
  • AI’s potential lies in tailoring treatment approaches based on diverse patient profiles, and thus optimising therapy outcomes.
  • AI swiftly detects cancer, eliminating the need for extensive tests and enabling even general practitioners to diagnose complex cancers.
  • This technology is poised to significantly enhance precision in cancer solutions.

National Cancer Grid (NCG):

• The NCG was established in 2012 as a government of India initiative through the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and its grant-in-aid institution, theTata Memorial Centre.
• It aims to create a network of cancer centres, research institutes, patient groups and charitable institutions across India with the objective of developing uniform standards of patient care for -
  • Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer;
  • Providing specialised training and education in oncology and
  • Facilitating collaborative basic, translational and clinical research in cancer.
• NCG today has over 270 hospitals in its network across India.