Artificial intelligence helps better predict mouth cancer risk

Artificial intelligence (AI) may help doctors better predict the risk of patients developing oral cancer by ensuring accuracy, consistency and objectivity, according to researchers from the University of Sheffield in the U.K. The researchers are examining the use of AI and machine learning -- the study of computer algorithms that improve automatically through experience -- to assist pathologists and improve the early detection of oral cancer. The rate of people being diagnosed with oral cancers including mouth, tongue, tonsil and oropharyngeal cancer, has increased by almost 60% in the last 10 years, the researchers said in a statement. Evidence suggests tobacco and alcohol consumption, viruses, old age as well as not eating enough fruit and vegetables can increase the risk of developing the disease, they said. Oral cancer is often detected late which means that the patient survival rates are poor. Currently, doctors must predict the likelihood of pre-cancerous changes, known as oral epithelial dysplasia (OED), developing into cancer by assessing a patient's biopsy on 15 different criteria to establish a score.