In the UK, 42,000 new diagnoses and 16,000 deaths occur from bowel cancer each year. Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, comprising over 10% of all deaths due to cancer. (1)
A recent study found that almost one third of bowel cancer patients experience an avoidable delay in their diagnosis. (2) Earlier detection of bowel cancer can result in better patient outcomes. With the goal of achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer and saving more lives, the NIHR AI in Health and Care Award was announced by the Health Secretary, the Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, at London Tech Week. The National Institue for Health research (NIHR) has awarded £140M in funding to back development of the most promising technologies in artificial intelligence (AI). Odin Vision Ltd was awarded a grant to support the development of their new AI technology, the CADDIE system, which uses machine learning to assist doctors in identifying and removing abnormalities during a colonoscopy. (3)
Aquarius Population Health is partnering with Odin Vision and Bowel & Cancer Research to evaluate the CADDIE artificial intelligence system across multiple hospitals in the UK. Aquarius Population Health will develop a health economic model to assess using CADDIE to detect and diagnose polyps during colonoscopy, focusing on long term clinical and health outcomes and costs. Results from the economic model, using data from the ongoing CONSCOP2 randomised clinical trial, will measure the impact of both earlier detection and diagnosis, and more accurate risk stratification that will arise using CADDIE.
Dr Elisabeth Adams, Managing Director of Aquarius says, “We are really excited to be working with Dr Peter Mountney and his team from Odin, Dr Sunil Dolwani from Cardiff University and Lesley Booth from Bowel & Cancer Research on this innovative project. The new technology could make a big impact to patients and the NHS and we look forward to developing robust evidence to demonstrate the value of the CADDIE system, in collaboration with the project team.
This is one of many studies related to healthcare provision and diagnostics that Aquarius has been part of. If you are interested in learning more about Aquarius and the evidence generation and health economic expertise we offer, please email info@aquariusph.com.
About NIHR
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the nation’s largest funder of health and care research. The NIHR:
- Funds, supports and delivers high quality research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care
- Engages and involves patients, carers and the public in order to improve the reach, quality and impact of research
- Attracts, trains and supports the best researchers to tackle the complex health and care challenges of the future
- Invests in world-class infrastructure and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services
- Partners with other public funders, charities and industry to maximise the value of research to patients and the economy
The NIHR was established in 2006 to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research, and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. In addition to its national role, the NIHR supports applied health research for the direct and primary benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries, using UK aid from the UK government.
1. Bowel cancer statistics [Internet]. Cancer Research UK. 2015 [cited 2020 Sep 15]. Available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/bowel-cancer
2. Swann R, Lyratzopoulos G, Rubin G, Pickworth E, McPhail S. The frequency, nature and impact of GP-assessed avoidable delays in a population-based cohort of cancer patients. Cancer Epidemiol [Internet]. 2020 Feb 1;64:101617. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877782119301286
3. Artificial intelligence research to speed up cancer and heart care as part of NHS AI Lab [Internet]. [cited 2020 Sep 15]. Available from: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/artificial-intelligence-research-to-speed-up-cancer-and-heart-care-as-part-of-nhs-ai-lab/25623