AutoRECIST project – progress on the groundbreaking software
We are developing the project “AutoRECIST – software to assist a radiologist in assessing the effectiveness of oncological treatment for female patients with breast cancer tumours metastatic to the lungs, liver, brain and lymph nodes in the RECIST system”.
The aim of the AutoRECIST project
The AutoRECIST project aims to develop advanced medical software to significantly improve the assessment of treatment effectiveness in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The system will assist radiologists in analysing changes in the lungs, liver, brain, and lymph nodes in accordance with international RECIST standards. The core value of the solution will be the sophisticated use of artificial intelligence algorithms. These will allow the programme to automatically identify, segment, and analyse tumours visible on CT and MRI images. It will perform measurements in line with RECIST guidelines and calculate the volume of each change. A crucial feature of the project is the automatic tumour-tracking function during successive examinations of the same patient, enabling the monitoring of disease progression or regression over time. Currently, there is no similar tool available on the European or Polish market, highlighting the project’s unique nature.
What are the primary tasks of the project?
The project encompasses the following activities:
- Selection of suitable scans from the resources of the Institute of Oncology in Gliwice,
- Preparation of manual contours of cancerous lesions,
- Development and testing of artificial intelligence algorithms for the detection, segmentation, and analysis of metastatic tumours,
- Creation of a user interface tailored to clinical work,
- Validation of the final solution in real medical practice.
All algorithms developed in the project focus on the segmentation of metastases originating from breast cancer.
Current status of the project – what has already been completed
The AutoRECIST project is entering its final phase. The team of specialists working on the project has already completed work on algorithms responsible for detecting metastatic lesions in the brain and lungs, and their operation has been successfully verified. Progress is also evident in liver metastasis detection — the algorithm has been developed and is currently undergoing detailed verification. As for the algorithm responsible for diagnosing metastases to the lymph nodes, development work remains ongoing. As can be seen, the pace of progress is high – a significant part of the project activities has already been completed, and the remaining elements are being systematically finalised. Thanks to this, the AutoRECIST project is steadily approaching the full achievement of its goals.
Added value, or the reason behind the AutoRECIST project
The effect achieved through the AutoRECIST project, that is, the development and subsequent incorporation into clinical practice of the medical device described above, will positively influence radiologists’ work. Consequently, it will also benefit the treatment of patients with breast cancer. What will this positive impact involve? The software will enhance the accuracy of assessing oncological treatment effectiveness using the RECIST system, ensuring greater objectivity and significantly accelerating the diagnostic process. This will enable radiologists to monitor therapy responses more swiftly and precisely, thereby directly improving the quality of clinical decisions. The consistent efforts of the Graylight Imaging team bring us closer to developing a tool that could become a vital element in oncological diagnostics.
Co-financing from European funds
The project is being implemented thanks to co-financing from the European Union. Funding was provided by the Medical Research Agency. Financial support is provided under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the EU’s NextGenerationEU (NGEU) instrument. We are undertaking this project in collaboration with the National Institute of Oncology – Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial – State Research Institute in Gliwice.
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