CANOES | Artificial intelligence and breast cancer: Ulbra students are awarded for research at a mastology congress

Five students from the Ulbra de Canoas Medicine course won 1st place in research at the 26th Brazilian Congress of Mastology

Present the most recent advances in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, highlighting the fundamental role of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and genetic tests. This was the proposal of four medical students from Ulbra Canoas, who won first place at the 26th Brazilian Mastology Congress. Isabella Schnorr Paglioli, Rafaela Zell, Camila Salles and Marina Amaral, together with Maria Catarina Wilhelms Guimarães, a former student at Ulbra, presented the work Advances in AI and Genetic Exams for the Preventive Diagnosis of Breast Cancer. The event, one of the most important in Brazil’s medical and scientific scenario in the area of ​​mastology, took place from April 10 to 13, 2024 at the BarraShoppingSul Events Center, in Porto Alegre.

Every year, more than a million women around the world die from breast cancer. In Brazil, neoplasms are the second cause of death in women, with breast cancer ranking first. Early diagnosis is essential for reducing the stage of cancer presentation, contributing to a favorable prognosis, according to research by students, all of whom are in their 5th semester. According to the director of the Medicine course at Ulbra, professor Dr. Marcelo Guerra, “the award reveals the high level of training that our students receive, but mainly the effort of these students. The Medicine course was very proud of their great achievement”, explained Guerra.

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Latest discoveries

The idea for the study came from one of the academics during the holidays. They set up the group and began research. “We submitted the work to the mastology congress with no intention of winning a prize. However, he was selected for oral presentation and there was an award. It was exciting and special, as our goal was to participate, learn about the subject and, to our surprise, we won”, says Camila Salles. The work explored the latest discoveries and developments in the field, providing an up-to-date view of the most effective strategies for identifying and treating breast cancer early.

The students justify the importance of the research because, in addition to assisting in diagnoses through imaging exams, artificial intelligence and machine learning are able to help in the detection and treatment of breast cancer, using genetic sequencing and histopathological images. “Participating in the research was a remarkable and inspiring journey. From the time I got involved in the project until the moment we were recognized, each stage was full of learning and personal growth”, highlights Rafaela. She adds that “What makes me most happy is knowing that, with dedication and determination, we are capable of achieving our biggest goals.”

Diagnostic assistance

“The experience of this work was very special for me. Since the beginning of college, I have been interested in the subject. When I was invited to participate in the research, I was very excited”, confesses Marina. She emphasizes that “the research process itself was extremely rich, and when we received the news that it had been selected in 1st place at a national congress, the happiness was even greater”.

Isabella Paglioli reveals that she has always been interested in the area of ​​mastology and the new technologies that are being created. “It was a very productive, intriguing and enriching work in my future career! I am very happy with the result and the indescribable experience we had. Presenting an oral work in front of hundreds of highly regarded doctors and still being awarded an award was incredible! And, like everything in life, without a dedicated group with the same purpose of doing a job well done, none of this would be possible,” she says.

Another award winner, Maria Catarina, says that “we thought of researching the use of artificial intelligence to aid diagnoses because it is an extremely current topic, but still little debated”. The student explains that all stages of the project were incredibly enriching, from the conception of the work to the presentation in front of several doctors specialized in the topic covered. “I feel immensely proud of our group for their commitment to the project, the presentation and also for winning the award”, she highlights.

How it works

• Artificial Intelligence algorithm can learn to discern the size, shape and texture pattern of breast cancer.

• This is achieved during the training process, where the model is exposed to a wide variety of example images, both with and without the presence of cancer, each appropriately labeled (cancer present/not present).

• During training, the AI ​​neural network adjusts its internal parameters to minimize the discrepancy between the image status prediction and reality, in each example image provided.

• Thus, the network identifies which image characteristics indicate the presence of a malignant lesion.

• When comparing the performance of the AI ​​system with that of an individual radiologist, the former performed better than 61% of radiologists.

• By analyzing large volumes of data and images quickly and accurately, AI can help reduce diagnostic errors and improve breast cancer screening and diagnosis processes.

• This can result in earlier diagnoses, more effective treatments and better outcomes for patients.

Text and information: Press Office/Ulbra