Detecting breast cancer with artificial intelligence

Improving early detection of breast cancer

ScreenPoint Medical is an ongoing client of ours, who’s mission is to improve early detection of breast cancer through intelligent computer systems. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to highlight ScreenPoint’s important work with an interview with the CEO Professor Nico Karssemeijer.

“In Screenpoint we develop machine learning algorithms that automatically read screening mammograms. As you may know it’s a very hard task for radiologists. Quite regularly breast cancers are missed in the screening program, and in order to improve the interpretation of screening mammograms we are working on computer programs that help the radiologist with this very difficult task.”

Developments in AI

Professor Karssemeijer points out that there’s a lot of developments going on in the world of artificial intelligence, like self driving cars for example. Computers can now start seeing things and understand the world around them by using camera signals. And that is very similar to what SceenPoint does. By understanding how to interpret images they are now capable of developing very powerful algorithms that automatically detect breast cancer in mammograms.

Personalizing screening programs

“We worked on an extension of this whole idea in the IBSCREEN project, and that is combining this with the technology that Biomediq is developing, which is looking more at risk assessment. Not every woman has the same risk of getting breast cancer and by identifying women that have more risk than other women, we can personalize the screening programs.”

IBSCREEN is one of ScreenPoint’s projects, which was developed together with a Danish partner and was awared a Eurostars grant.

“We worked together with a partner in Denmark,.., who’s in the computer science department and the founder of Biomediq. We thought they would be a good partner because they are also working on early detection of breast cancer but from a very different angle, so it’s very complementary to what we do.”

How Horizon Europe supports the mission

The Horizon Europe budget will be allocated to strengthening this breakthrough science, boosting the innovation capacity of ScreenPoint and deliver these innovations to society.

“We’ve been working with PNO Life Sciences & Health* in several grant applications and I think they are very professional. They’re wonderful people to work with and they helped us to get a couple of projects funded.”

Could you project be funded too?

We help companies like ScreenPoint find European funding opportunities like Horizon Europe. Whether you’re working on AI-driven healthcare, diagnostics or other high-impact solutions, we can help you scan the funding landscape to get the best possible solution for your project. Contact us by using the form below if you’d like to spar with one of our consultants. We’re always happy to assist!

* Formerly known as ttopstart, a separate Life Sciences & Health consultancy. The company has since fully integrated into PNO Innovation and no longer operates under the ttopstart name. For more information, see the press release “We continue as PNO Innovation.”