NORFOLK, Va. — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of how doctors detect, prevent and treat the disease.
One example is AI-assisted radiation therapy, which helps doctors adjust a patient's treatment in hopes of limiting radiation exposure.
The FDA recently approved a new AI tool called Clarity, now available nationwide, to help assess a patient's future breast cancer risk.
However, health experts say Clarity has significant limitations. The tool does not work for women with breast implants and does not count abnormal cells. It has also been noted to rank Black women less accurately than White women and could not accurately assess women under 50 or over 65 years old.
No hospitals in Hampton Roads are currently using or offering Clarity, right now. However, Riverside Health officials confirmed to News 3, they are using AI during mammograms.
Health experts recommend yearly exams starting at age 40, but are noticing more younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer.
"So over 13,000 women, and I see this every day in my practice in the United States, are diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40," said Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a breast oncologist at NYU.
"So we need to be thinking about how do we capture these women to have improved screening techniques, and how do we think about how their treatment may differ from someone who's maybe 80 years old,"said Comen.
If you think you or someone you know may have breast cancer, health experts recommend calling your doctor to make an appointment.
There are also local mammography mobile vans available through Sentara and Chesapeake Regional
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