Harvard researchers develop AI for brain surgery
A new AI tool can distinguish glioblastoma from similar-looking brain cancers during surgery, aiding crucial treatment decisions in real time.
Harvard researchers have developed an AI tool to distinguish glioblastoma from similar brain tumours during surgery. The PICTURE system gives surgeons near-real-time guidance for critical decisions during surgery.
PICTURE outperformed humans and other AI, correctly distinguishing glioblastoma from PCNSL over 98 percent of the time in international tests. The tool also flags cases it is unsure of, allowing human review and reducing the risk of misdiagnosis, particularly in complex or rare brain tumours.
The AI works on frozen tissue samples, commonly used for rapid surgical evaluation, and can identify crucial cancer features such as cell shape, density, and necrosis.
Accurate tumour differentiation helps surgeons avoid unnecessary tissue removal and choose the proper treatment- surgery for glioblastoma or radiation and chemotherapy for PCNSL.
Researchers envision PICTURE could be used in surgery and pathology to aid AI collaboration, train pathologists, and improve access to neuropathology expertise. Further studies are planned to test its accuracy across more diverse populations and potentially extend its application to other cancer types.
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