Doctors, scientists and researchers in Britain created an artificial intelligence model that can accurately identify cancer, in a development they note could speed up diagnosis of the disease and lead to faster treatment for patients.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide about 10 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization.

In many cases, however, the disease can be cured if caught early.

The artificial intelligence tool designed by experts from the “Royal Marsden NHS foundation trust, the Institute of Cancer Research” in London and “Imperial College” in London can detect whether tumors found on CT scans are cancerous, the Guardian reports .

According to a study published in the Lancet’s eBioMedicine journal, the algorithm performs more effectively and efficiently than current methods.

The research team used CT scans about 500 patients with large lung nodules to develop an artificial intelligence algorithm using radiology. The technique can extract important information from medical images that is not easily detected by the human eye. The AI ​​model was then tested to see if it could accurately locate the cancerous nodules.

The results showed that the AI ​​model could determine the cancer risk of each nodule with high accuracy (AUC 0.87).

According to the study, the system would suggest early intervention for 18 out of 22 (82%) nodules that were later confirmed to be cancerous.

The AI ​​model can also help doctors make faster decisions for patients with tumors that are currently considered medium-risk.

However, the team clarified that the Libra study is still at an early stage, and that more testing will be needed before the model can be introduced into health care systems.