In response to a recent article published in the Washington Post, our hearts go out to Ms. Barzilay and the trauma that breast cancer causes millions of women.

This article asks the question: Is artificial intelligence about to transform the mammogram?  In addition to research underway, the good news is AI is already in practice and is delivering what CureMetrix calls the AI-Mammogram. Used in clinical practice across the globe and validated in published studies, AI has incredible value in earlier, more accurate breast cancer detection for women of all ethnicities and with all breast densities.  The power of AI has demonstrated better improved cancer detection, more consistency in determining breast density (an important aspect as dense breasts can mask cancer) and in reducing false positives which can lead to unnecessary call backs and painful biopsies.

Starting with the radiologist’s worklist, FDA-cleared cmTriage® is an application that prioritizes “suspicious” cases directly into the radiology worklist, so the doctor can quickly see cases that need immediate attention. Mammography exams are then processed by cmAssist®, a sophisticated AI-based CAD algorithm that marks the mammogram and scores suspicious lesions with the ability to help radiologists find cancers up to 5 years earlier. And then cmDensity™ automatically classifies the patient's breast density according to the standards set by the American College of Radiology (ACR), BIRADS Fifth Edition. 

The impact of these CureMetrix AI innovations for mammography have been featured in both the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR) and in the Journal of Digital Imaging (JDI), and published in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Collectively, these studies have shown some of the following benefits:

• Faster reading time for radiologists  – 30% reduction in reading time reviewing mammograms with a 71% reduction in flags over non-AI CAD
• Improved cancer detection – 27% increase in early cancer detection without an increase in false-positive recalls
• Fewer unnecessary patient recalls – 69% reduction in false positives vs. traditional CAD, leaving more time for accurate diagnoses

In addition, CureMetrix is expanding the use of the screening AI-Mammogram with cmAngio™ to also assess a woman’s risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), the #1 killer of women. Studies published in the American Heart Association and in the Journal of Breast Imaging have shown that breast arterial calcifications (BAC), that can be seen in a mammogram, correlate to a women’s risk of heart disease. And knowing a women’s risk is key to managing her health.

From breast health to women’s health, we encourage doctors and patients to reach out and learn more about how CureMetrix is using AI today in the fight against the #1 and #3 killers of women worldwide.

To learn more and for related studies, information is available can be found here.

And for radiologists, imaging centers and hospital systems that want to advance their program for women's health, request a meeting here