Insider Brief
- Lunit, a medical AI company, announced the validation of its AI-powered mammography analysis solution, Lunit INSIGHT MMG, for standalone breast cancer detection, based on a study published in European Radiology.
- The study, led by Drs. Johanne Kühl and Mohammad Talal Elhakim at the University of Southern Denmark, compared the AI system’s performance to that of breast radiologists across 249,402 screenings in Southern Denmark and revealed that Lunit INSIGHT MMG matched radiologists in overall accuracy when set at the same specificity level and could feasibly replace first readers in double-reading mammography screenings.
- However, at matched sensitivity levels, the AI showed slightly lower specificity and positive predictive value, as well as a higher recall rate than first readers and the research suggests Lunit INSIGHT MMG’s integration in double-reading could increase overall cancer detection without significantly altering the clinicopathological characteristics of detected cancers.
PRESS RELEASE — SEOUL, South Korea/November 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Lunit (KRX:328130.KQ), a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, today announced that in a study recently published in European Radiology, Lunit’s AI-powered mammography analysis solution, Lunit INSIGHT MMG, has been validated for its effectiveness in standalone breast cancer detection. The study, led by Dr. Johanne Kühl and Dr. Mohammad Talal Elhakim at the University of Southern Denmark, compared the AI system’s performance to that of first-reading breast radiologists across an entire screening population.
The research encompassed mammography screenings performed between August 4, 2014, and August 15, 2018, in the Region of Southern Denmark. It involved 249,402 screenings (149,495 women), and a total of 2,033 breast cancers. Screenings were assessed as normal or abnormal by breast radiologists through double-reading with arbitration.
The study’s key findings revealed that when Lunit INSIGHT MMG’s cut-off score was matched at the first reader mean specificity (capacity of correctly identifying cancer-free exams), it exhibited no statistically significant difference in overall accuracy compared to that of radiologists. However, when the AI threshold was matched at the first reader mean sensitivity (capacity of correctly diagnosing cancer), it showed lower specificity (97.5% vs. 97.7%) and positive predictive value (17.5% vs. 18.7%) and a higher recall rate (3.0% vs. 2.8%) than first readers.
The study findings suggest that with an appropriate cut-off score, Lunit INSIGHT MMG could feasibly replace first readers in a mammography double-reading setting. The cancers detected by AI but missed by radiologists suggest that integrating AI to support double-reading within screening could lead to an increase in the overall number of detected cancers. Importantly, the clinicopathological characteristics of the detected cancers would not change significantly with the implementation of AI.
“Following our first prospective study in Sweden, where Lunit INSIGHT MMG demonstrated its capability to replace one human reader in Europe’s double-reading setting — a role it currently fulfills at the Capio S:t Göran Hospital — we are excited to observe the outcomes of this recently published study, further confirming the effectiveness of Lunit INSIGHT MMG in standalone breast cancer detection,” said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. “This research highlights the potential for our AI solution to significantly enhance mammography screenings. It not only offers a promising avenue to improve cancer detection rates but also provides valuable support to radiologists by alleviating their workloads. Ultimately, Lunit INSIGHT MMG has the potential to become an essential tool for both hospitals and patients.”
About Lunit
Founded in 2013, Lunit is a deep learning-based medical AI company on a mission to conquer cancer. We are committed to harnessing AI to ensure accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment for each cancer patient using AI-powered medical image analytics and AI biomarkers.
As a medical AI company grounded on clinical evidence, our findings are presented in major peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Lancet Digital Health, and global conferences, including ASCO and RSNA.
After receiving FDA clearance and the CE Mark, our flagship Lunit INSIGHT suite is clinically used in approximately 3,000+ hospitals and medical institutions across 40+ countries. Lunit is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with offices and representatives worldwide. For more information, please visit lunit.io.
