OH Health System Leverages AI to Bolster Colon Cancer Screenings, Health Equity

University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center has been awarded artificial intelligence (AI)-based endoscopy tools by the Medtronic Health Equity Assistance Program, which will be used to support colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and prevention in medically underserved communities.

The award, sponsored by Medtronic and Amazon Web Services, comprises GI Genius modules given to facilities providing care in underserved areas with either low CRC screening rates or no access to AI-assisted colonoscopy technology. GI Genius, which was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2021, uses AI to detect polyps in the colon, assisting clinicians during colonoscopies.

Since then, the tool has been leveraged by multiple healthcare organizations, including the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC), Rush University System for Health, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). The module has also been shown to significantly decrease the miss rate of colorectal polyps and adenomas compared to standard colonoscopy. 

UH has been using a GI Genius module since March and will receive additional modules this fall as part of the award.

“This AI module directly impacts our ability to improve colon cancer screening and prevention and offers a technology that will likely reduce health care disparities in our community,” said Gerard Isenberg, MD, chief medical quality officer for the UH Digestive Health Institute, in the press release. “Studies have shown that AI-assisted colonoscopy can increase polyp detection rates, and every 1 percent increase in adenoma detection rate reduces the risk of interval colorectal cancer by 3 percent. There is currently no other technology that accomplishes that rate of success.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that CRC is the fourth most common cancer, not counting some types of skin cancer, and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. Colonoscopies to screen for colorectal polyps are the standard method for CRC prevention and early detection.

Like other conditions, CRC outcomes are worse for some racial and ethnic groups due to a lack of access and health inequities.

“African-Americans are disproportionately affected compared to other races,” Isenberg noted. “The five-year survival for colorectal cancer is lower in this racial group. By finding and removing a polyp, we can prevent a cancer from forming. This AI technology helps us to reduce the variability in finding these pre-cancerous polyps, and make an impact on improving the health of our patients.”

Using this technology, UH hopes to boost access to CRC screening and prevent new cancer cases to improve health equity.

This technology is one of multiple that have successfully improved CRC screening and outcomes.

In March, researchers found that an AI tool helped drive a two-fold reduction in the miss rate of colorectal neoplasia.

Another study suggested that using AI detection tools in screening colonoscopy may prevent colorectal cancer incidence and mortality while reducing costs.

Further, a Mayo Clinic-led study published in August showed that a deep-learning algorithm might improve colorectal cancer recurrence and survival predictions.