Deploying AI against colon cancer

Colonoscopy is an important weapon in the fight against colon cancer, which killed 51,000 Americans in 2019, making it the nation’s second-deadliest cancer. But doctors’ ability to catch polyps on the colonoscopy screen varies — sometimes significantly. Last month, a team led by physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School showed that an AI-based computer-vision algorithm can improve the accuracy of screenings. The Gazette spoke with Tyler Berzin, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine, about the findings, published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The interview was edited for clarity and length.