More than 2,000 NHS patients across 10 hospital trusts have taken part in a pioneering bowel cancer screening programme using artificial intelligence (AI) to better predict the development of cancer.
The COLO-DETECT trial - run from the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust and supported by funding from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation - is testing whether a tool called GI [Gastro-intestinal] Genius improves the number of polyps discovered during an colonoscopy.
A polyp can develop into bowel cancer. The idea is to use GI Genius to improve colonoscopies - especially if the AI thinks there could be areas of a person's intestine that have not been explored during the procedure. The trial is led by Professor Colin Rees, who works at the South Tyneside and Sunderland trust and is also a professor at Newcastle University.
Last year, Professor Rees explained how the "complex geography" of our insides meant that even the most expert clinicians could miss key features during a colonoscopy. The idea is to use AI to "augment" rather than replace medical experts. The trial has now finished recruiting participants, and it is hoped trial results will be published towards the end of the year.
More than 500 participants were recruited in South Tyneside and Sunderland alone, including Jean Tyler, 75. Jean, a retired careers advisor, was invited for a colonoscopy after discovering blood in her poo after completing a bowel cancer screening test. The procedure saw medics find five further polyps - which can become cancerous.
Fortunately, none of these polyps were cancerous, but investigations found another area of concern, and she did have cancer. After surgery, the cancer was removed and Jean is now free of the disease.
She said: "When they rang me up to make my appointment for my colonoscopy, I was asked if I would like to take part in this research. I always say yes to these research projects because I know that they can make things a lot better for everybody.
"The screening test had been sent through and I’d thought ‘I can’t be bothered.’ Then four or five days later I realised what it was and I thought I’d better make sure. I’m so glad I did do it. I would say to anyone make sure you do yours too."
She praised the team who looked after her - including the MacMillan nurses at the South Tyneside and Sunderland trust. She also thanked her consultant Daya Singh, specialist nurses Janes Barnes and Teresa Liddle, and husband Derek Tyler. She said she had "unbelievable" support.
Professor Rees said: "AI can be used to look at data, it can be used for things like detection, as in the COLO-DETECT study, for imaging and it's very good at picking up patterns in data or results. So AI will be, without question, a major tool used by medicine in the coming years.
“Our research led from Newcastle University and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is world leading. COLO-DETECT is part of our broader COLO-SPEED research, which has recruited more than 4,000 patients in addition to the 2,000 in COLO-DETECT, building one of the largest bowel cancer research platforms in the world."
He said the research had a real impact on patients and said he and his colleagues were always grateful to patients like Jean for taking part in vital research. He added: "Whatever we find from COLO-DETECT we will make sure that the message gets out there and hopefully it will show that this improves detection.
"But if it doesn't, that's equally important because what you don't want to do is waste resources on things if they don't help."
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation - part of the Newcastle Hospitals Charity - provided almost £1m in funding to help set up a platform supporting a range of COLO-SPEED research trials.
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