Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have built an artificial intelligence algorithm that detects signs of the dangerous disease long before symptoms appear, the website infohub.kz reports.
The AI model, developed by scientists at the Mayo Clinic, can identify people at elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer five years before the first clinical symptoms appear. The findings were presented at the American College of Surgeons congress in Washington.
The algorithm analyzes electronic medical records and standard laboratory test results. In their work, the authors examined data from nearly 40,000 patients whose observation histories ranged from 7.5 to 19 years. The model looks for hidden changes in health indicators that a person or a doctor cannot notice in the early stages. Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, as it is often diagnosed at late stages.
Lead author Chris Varghese noted that identifying early markers makes it possible to move from reacting to symptoms to timely screening. The researchers are now preparing prospective clinical trials of the technology at medical institutions to test its effectiveness in real-world practice.