Bilthoven hospital first in the Netherlands to use AI to assess mammograms

The Alexander Monro Hospital (AMZ) in Bilthoven is the first in the Netherlands to use artificial intelligence (AI) when assessing mammograms. Various studies in recent years have shown that AI can detect breast cancer earlier than radiologists can, De Telegraaf reports.

“This is a big step forward,” Marjolein de Jong, director of the AMZ and a former oncological surgeon, told the newspaper. “The earlier breast cancer is detected, the greater chance of survival.”

Earlier diagnosis also often means that the patient requires less intensive treatment. That is better for the patient and keeps healthcare costs down.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer for women. According to the public health institute RIVM, every year at least 15,000 women in the Netherlands get a breast cancer diagnosis. Over 3,000 women die as a result per year.

“We can always miss something,” AMZ radiologist Sebastiaan Franken said. “As a doctor, you do your utmost, but it remains human work.” Sometimes, a tumor is clearly visible on a scan, other times it is not. He expects AI looking over his shoulder will help him miss even less.

Ritse Mann, a radiologist at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital, hopes that more Dutch hospitals will adopt the technology in this field. “This is a great first step,” Mann told the newspaper. “But even more important is that AI is quickly used in the population screening for breast cancer.”

The Dutch Health Council also expects that AI will significantly improve the population screening, in which 1.2 million women participate per year. But more research into the technology is needed first, the Council believes.