Innovation Heroes: This AI tool is saving lives by detecting cancer sooner:
Meet Mia®, the technology that's helping healthcare professionals diagnose breast cancer faster and more accurately.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed how we interact with technology in our daily lives, from managing smart devices to speech-to-text functions. But beyond these conveniences, AI is also making strides in helping to save lives. In the latest episode of Innovation Heroes, Ed McNamara sits down with Peter Kecskemethy, CEO and co-founder of Kheiron Medical, and Sarah Kerruish, Chief Strategy Officer, to discuss how their AI technology, Mia®, is revolutionizing breast cancer detection.
Mia® is an AI-driven diagnostic tool that is transforming the way radiologists detect breast cancer, making diagnoses faster, more accurate, and potentially lifesaving.
“You often see doctors have extremely unsuitable software [for their needs], and so that’s where Kheiron comes from: bringing the best possible tools to doctors. And I do believe that AI is one of the most important pieces of technologies to produce those tools.”
What makes Mia® a game-changer
Kheiron Medical’s flagship product, Mia®, uses AI to act as a second reader for radiologists, analyzing mammography images with precision that the human eye might miss. What sets Mia apart is its ability to complement, rather than replace, radiologists’ decision-making.
“We’re not trying to imitate how doctors make decisions but bring in extra information that is not visible to the human eye or sort of not accessible to the brain, the visual cortex of how humans process images,” says Kecskemethy. “I think our approach is very different, both in terms of what the AI looks at – the information it processes – and also how it collaborates with the doctors through various workflows.”
Real-world impact
The real-world results of Mia’s implementation have been groundbreaking. In studies conducted across Europe, Mia has increased breast cancer detection rates, and in some cases, it has even halved the number of missed diagnoses.
“In Hungary, we saw up to a 15% increase in cancer detection,” says Kerruish. “We’ve been hearing from women whose cancers were caught earlier thanks to Mia®, and it’s the greatest privilege to know that there are many women, now walking out in the world, whose cancer was picked up earlier by our technology and who have a better prognosis as a result.”
Overcoming challenges in AI development
Developing AI for clinical use isn’t without its challenges. Kecskemethy acknowledges the complexities involved in making sure the AI works consistently in different environments and populations.
Kerruish also highlights the importance of eliminating bias in AI: “In healthcare, that means making sure that Mia® works for every woman, doesn’t matter where she comes from or her ethnicity. And, you know, one of the studies that I can sort of hint at is a big study that proves how Mia® works well for women from different ethnicities and doesn’t increase healthcare inequality.”
The future of AI in healthcare
Looking ahead, Kheiron Medical has ambitious plans. The team is focused on expanding Mia’s capabilities, improving its accuracy, and eventually applying AI to other types of cancer screenings.
Kheiron Medical’s work is a testament to how AI can transform healthcare, making cancer detection faster, more accurate, and ultimately more manageable. Listen to the full conversation here. You can also find episodes on SHI’s Resource Hub, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms, and on YouTube in video format.
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