Artificial Intelligence Enables New Colonoscopy Screening Method

A new computer-aided polyp detection (CADe) tool powered by artificial intelligence will be used for colonoscopy procedures at Ohio State University, enabling early detection of colorectal cancer, according to a recent announcement.

The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) will be the first academic medical centers in the country to use the new tool approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA authorized marketing of the GI Genius in April 2021. It is the first device to use artificial intelligence to detect polyps in the colon, according to an FDA press release. A combination of hardware and software, GI Genius uses artificial intelligence to generate markers and superimpose them on the video screen, so it is clear to gastroenterologists that a lesion is present. Gastroenterologists can then use closer inspection and testing to determine next steps.

The tool applies deep learning and real-time data to allow physicians to view the entire colon, enabling faster and more accurate detection of potentially harmful lesions.

“This is truly a game-changer for early detection of colorectal cancer because it pairs the expertise of a highly trained physician with the power of artificial intelligence to identify potential high-risk lesions that may have gone undetected with the human eye alone,” said Darwin L. Conwell, MD, director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Ohio State College of Medicine, in the announcement.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently recommended that adults get screened for colon cancer at age 45 rather than 50. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the nation, and the third most common cancer for both men and women.

“We know that the majority, if not all, colorectal cancers develop from precancerous growths we call polyps, so identifying and addressing these areas before they can transform into cancer is a powerful tool in reducing the burden of cancer through prevention,” said Peter Stanich, MD, a gastroenterologist at the OSUCCC and an associate professor at the Ohio State College of Medicine, in the press release.

According to the CDC, 21.7 million adults between the ages of 50 and 75 have never been screened for colon cancer. In addition, African Americans in the US are 20 percent more likely to get colon cancer and 40 percent more likely to die as a result, according to the American Cancer Society.

“This health care disparity gap is even more profound among at-risk populations where social determinants of health impact both a person’s access and willingness to obtain timely cancer screening. We need to be aggressive and intentional in getting more people screened. Access to this new technology—in diverse neighborhoods across our city—is one step to help address this issue,” Conwell continued. 

The racial disparities in colon cancer diagnoses and death point to a need for more consistent screening, and an increased focus on social determinants of health. Racial disparities in healthcare have proven to be deadly in some cases.

Researchers found that minorities are twice as likely to die during hospitalization from a traumatic brain injury. In addition, a recent study showed discrepancies in symptom reporting between Black women and White women with early-stage breast cancer.  

Health disparities with colon cancer are just as striking, but researchers are making significant strides in detecting colon cancer earlier and preventing more fatalities.

Recent analysis from researchers at Mayo Clinic found that one in six colon cancer patients possessed an inherited gene mutation that made them more susceptible to the disease. In addition, researchers found that without the help of genomic data, 60 percent of the analyzed cases would have gone unnoticed.