TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – National Taiwan University Hospital said Monday that real-time AI-assisted colonoscopy improves the detection of adenomas.
An adenoma is a mostly benign tumor that grows in organs like the colon. Some can become cancerous lesions or cause health complications as they enlarge over time.
A colonoscopy is a screening method to locate polyps, which are precancerous mounds of tissue that ought to be removed before they develop into colon cancer. The method involves inserting a camera-mounted tube, which is then guided through the rectum to locate the polyps for removal.
The NTUH-led initiative took 1,356 adults aged 40–79 and compared AI colonoscopy results with standard procedures from other medical centers, including Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, per CNA. The purpose behind selecting established hospitals was to see if this method could further improve care quality, per the NTUH press release.
Among Fecal Immunochemical Test-positive patients, 65% of the AI group had adenomas detected versus the 57% using standard colonoscopy, or eight additional patients per 100 screened. Overall detection is higher with AI at 59% versus without at 53%.
The AI method detected adenomas smaller than 1 cm, which could indicate the early stages of colon cancer in patients diagnosed using FIT tests. It uses the same high-definition colonoscopes connected to a computer-assisted diagnosis system, which simultaneously alerts the operator to suspected tissue mounds with a sound and a blue bounding box on a secondary monitor.
The study said AI did not cause more removal of normal tissues, at 4% among experienced surgeons in both groups. Detection did improve for less-experienced surgeons, whose detection rates rose from about 48% to 58%, while operating time increased by under a minute, with no complications, per UDN.
NTU Health Management Center Director Chiu Han-mo (邱瀚模) said the aim was to demonstrate AI's added value, rather than to replace human judgment. He added that long-term monitoring is still required to design the optimal screening policy.
NTU Hospital is home to one of the health ministry's three smart medical centers. The hospital is planning further trials to validate AI integration for improved patient care outcomes, per the Commercial Times.
