The Role Screening, Prevention and AI Play in Managing Cervical Cancer

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cervical cancer is the fourth most common among women worldwide. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, approximately 13,960 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed, and about 4,310 women in the United States will die from cervical cancer. Deaths from cervical cancer have decreased significantly with the implementation of the Pap test and the HPV test.

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and a perfect time to recognize the role screening and prevention play in optimizing patient outcomes, as well as the role AI can play in early diagnosis. The week’s Domain Knowledge looks at screening, prevention, and the use of artificial intelligence in managing cervical cancer.

During a screening Pap test, cells from the cervix are collected and assessed in the lab to find cancer and pre-cancer. Cervical pre-cancers are diagnosed more often than invasive cervical cancer, highlighting the value of screening in early diagnosis. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV test is a screening test that looks for infection by high-risk types of HPV (there are more than 40 HPV types) that are more likely to cause pre-cancers and cancers of the cervix. These tests can be used alone or together and are often done during a well women health visit.

Prevention also plays a role in managing cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine was approved in 2006 and prevents infection by certain types of human papillomavirus. Currently available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause the greatest risk of cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys at 11 or 12 years of age and for anyone under the age of 26 that was not vaccinated in their younger years.

Both screening and prevention play a significant role in the management of cervical cancer. Can AI augment these current interventions to further decrease risk and improve patient outcomes?

A recent study, Addressing cervical cancer screening disparities through advances in artificial intelligence and nanotechnologies for cellular profiling, looked at using decentralized screening technologies and computational strategies to improve traditional methods and how this could democratize cervical cancer screening and promote greater disease prevention.

Artificial Intelligence in Cervical Cancer Screening and Diagnosis assesses the use of AI in cervical cancer screening and diagnosis, with a focus on improving the accuracy of early diagnosis. Cervical cancer can be treated and cured if detected in the early stages.

The article Cervical Cancer Screenings Save Lives. So Why Aren’t More Women Getting Them? addresses health disparity issues and highlights a new, artificial intelligence-powered algorithm developed by NCI researchers that could help improve cervical screenings, especially in areas still relying on older screening technology.

Cervical pre-cancerous lesion detection: development of smartphone-based VIA application using artificial intelligence uses an (AI)-based Android application that can automatically determine results in real-time and may be further developed as a health care support system in cervical cancer screening.

That’s a wrap for this week’s review of news and happenings in the healthcare AI space. In closing, I’ll invite you to learn more about the benefits of using an AI Hub to manage multiple applications across your clinical needs and offer you a personal demo of Ferrum’s platform and growing AI catalog.

If you have AI tips, suggestions, or resources, you’d like to share, leave us a note below, and please feel free to suggest topics you would like to see covered in future posts.