KWF grant for AI research on premalignancies of the Fallopian tube
The Dutch Cancer Society has awarded our project ‘Deep learning for improved detection of premalignant lesions in the Fallopian tube’ with a grant of 493,000 Euro. The project is a collaboration between the Radboudumc departments of Pathology (Dr Jeroen van der Laak, Dr Hans Bulten, Dr Michiel Simons) and Obstetrics and Gynecology (Dr Joanne de Hullu, Dr Miranda Steenbeek) and Prof Dr Mark Sherman of Mayo Clinic Florida (US). In this project we will develop and validate AI for the detection of serous tubal intra-epithelial carcinoma (STIC), a non-invasive lesion in the distal Fallopian tube which is expected to be a precursor for ovarian cancer. Detection of STIC is not straightforward and requires highly specialized pathologists. At the same time, accurate detection of STIC is crucial for safely offering alternatives to risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy to patients at an increased risk for ovarian cancer. The developed models will therefore result in a higher quality of life for these patients, by improving accuracy and consistency of STIC diagnosis.
The image above represents a H&E stained fallopian tube section. The STIC lesion is displayed on high magnification in the green panel.