Each year, approximately 1,200 Swedes are affected by cancer in the oral cavity and throat, but today there is a lack of screening programs to detect oral cancer early.
– If the cell changes can be detected and removed early, before the cancer develops, it can save the patient a lot of suffering and save lives, says Christina Runow Stark, maxillofacial surgeon in the department of orofacial medicine at Blekinge Hospital, who is one of the project leaders.
Analysis with AI technology
As part of the project, a pilot study is being carried out on five patients in collaboration with the department of pathology and cytology at Blekinges Hospital in Karlskrona to investigate the flow.
Using a small brush, a cell sample is taken from the patient’s oral mucosa, which is examined by the pathologist and scanned into images.
The images are then used for further development of an AI system that will increase the chance of finding severe cell changes or cancer early.
In the clip above: Hear more about the project and see the method demonstrated.