AI could take over breast cancer screenings as fewer radiologists enter medical field

A new study suggests that radiologists assisted by AI are more effective at detecting breast cancer than two radiologists working in tandem. In these screenings, mammographers took multiple X-rays of each breast to identify cancer signs too subtle to see or feel. However, current screening methods do not catch every case of breast cancer, and false positives can result in unnecessary imaging and biopsies. Remarkably, a single radiologist working alongside AI detected 261 cases, while AI alone flagged 246 — just four fewer than two human radiologists. Additionally, the team observed a six and 55-percent reduction in false positives for one radiologist plus AI and AI alone, respectively.