- Research Snapshot 2023
- Foreword
- A message from the RBWH Foundation
- A message from The Common Good
- Research stories
- Pre-hospital pathway improving heart attack outcomes
- Caboolture diabetic research attracting global attention
- Improving safety of kidney biopsies at the RBWH
- Breakthrough for diabetes foot ulcer sufferers
- Using artificial intelligence for polyp detection in colonoscopy
- Kids Pain Collaborative at Redcliffe Hospital
- Virtual reality and education for low back pain
- Gestational diabetes screening could be easier thanks to COVID
- Whole Genome Sequencing pilot helps patients and families
- QUT Metro North Nursing and Midwifery Academy
- Vertigo management key tool to preventing falls in older patients
- Community dysphagia research highlights telehealth importance
- RADAR RR grant to provide hospital level care at home
- Does antibiotic delivery method improve health outcomes?
- Radiation shield provides greater protection to staff
- Using AI to identify aspiration in children with feeding disorders
- New online platform helping determine causes of delirium
- Transforming consumer and community involvement in research
- HBI engineers modelling patient-focussed care
- Improving pressure injury management in palliative care
- Stoma study shows importance of exercise to avoid complications
- Improving the menopause journey for women in the workplace
- Research study highlights complexities of ICU environment
- More growth in nursing research at Redcliffe
- The Queensland Aphasia Research Centre recognised
Using artificial intelligence for polyp detection in colonoscopy
A research project is investigating whether the use of artificial intelligence can improve the detection rates of polyps in colonoscopy.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer affecting people in Australia and it is estimated that one in 20 people will be diagnosed by the time they are 85. If bowel cancer is found early, more than 90 per cent of cases can be successfully treated.
A colonoscopy is a procedure used to look for changes in the bowel, including pre-cancerous polyps which can lead to bowel cancer. During a coloscopy, a long, flexible tube called a colonoscope is inserted into the rectum. A tiny video camera at the tip of the colonoscope allows the doctor to view the whole length of the colon.
While a colonoscopy is the best method for detecting pre-cancerous polyps, very small or flat lesions are harder to detect and can be missed. Technologies have been developed to improve polyp detection including artificial intelligence (AI).
Lead researcher Dr Mark Appleyard said utilising AI shows promise in improving detection rates.
“AI has enabled the development of computer-aided detections systems which highlight polyps to the clinician in real time. The AI has been fed thousands of polyp images so has been trained to identify subtle features on the colonoscopy monitor that might represent a polyp (and places a green square around the suspected polyp). The endoscopist can then interrogate that area more closely and confirm if a polyp is indeed present,” Dr Appleyard said.
“The research project is evaluating the impact of AI in detecting adenomas and serrated polyps (pre-cancerous polyps) compared to a colonoscopy conducted without AI.
“If AI assisted colonoscopies are found to improve the detection of adenomas and polyps, this could lead to the prevention of bowel cancer cases, potentially saving lives.
“We are also looking to develop our experience with AI further in a new study using other technology that has the potential to characterise and diagnose polyps in real time on the screen. The benefit of this is that polyps may no longer need to be sent for pathological assessment,” he said.