A group of researchers has developed an artificial intelligence-based digital pathology platform. This innovative platform utilizes new algorithms created by the team, allowing for entirely automated analysis of tissue samples from patients with lung cancer. It enables quicker and more accurate evaluations of digitized tissue samples for lung tumors than previously possible.
A research team from the University of Cologne’s Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, under the leadership of Dr. Yuri Tolkach and Professor Dr. Reinhard Büttner, has designed a digital pathology platform powered by artificial intelligence. Utilizing the newly developed algorithms, the platform facilitates complete automation in the analysis of tissue sections from lung cancer patients. This system significantly enhances the speed and precision of analyzing digitized tissue samples for lung tumors compared to prior methods. Their findings, presented in the study titled ‘Next generation lung cancer pathology: development and validation of diagnostic and prognostic algorithms’, have been published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
Lung cancer ranks among the most prevalent cancers in humans and is associated with a high mortality rate. Currently, the treatment options for lung cancer patients are guided by pathological assessments, which can also reveal specific genetic changes for personalized therapies. Recently, the field of pathology has embraced a digital revolution, eliminating the need for traditional microscopes. Typical tissue sections are now digitized and analyzed on computer screens. This digital shift is essential for employing sophisticated analytical techniques using artificial intelligence. AI can uncover additional insights about the cancer from pathological tissue sections, which traditional methods would not achieve.
“We also demonstrate how this platform can pave the way for the creation of new clinical tools. These tools not only enhance diagnostic quality but also provide novel insights into the patient’s condition, such as their response to treatments,” stated Dr. Yuri Tolkach from the Institute of General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy at University Hospital Cologne, who directed the study.
To further validate the platform’s wide-ranging capabilities, the research team will undertake a validation study in collaboration with five pathology institutes located in Germany, Austria, and Japan.
