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AI in colorectal cancer screening

Colon cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women and men. However, the risk of developing colon cancer can be reduced by regular screening. The gold standard is colonoscopy, which is recommended in Germany for men from the age of 50 and for women from the age of 55.

The latest development in colonoscopies is the use of artificial intelligence. A computer algorithm recognizes polyps in the intestinal mucosa during the endoscopy. As soon as the computer has found and detected a polyp, a visual and acoustic signal is triggered and the examining doctor is notified of the finding. Various artificial intelligence systems have already been approved for colonoscopy.

The reliability of these systems is astonishingly high. Studies have shown that artificial intelligence leads to a significantly higher polyp detection rate. The good thing about this is that it does not replace doctors, but the computer supports their diagnostics. AI provides additional information that the human eye would miss.