How to distinguish cancer cells and facilitate the exchange of information between doctors? The solution may be a digital consultation platform with a cytological image recognition system. Such a solution was developed by scientists from Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

Pathomorphological diagnosis of cancers, in short, the detection of cancer cells, is a key stage in the development of the treatment process. The methods used so far involved the use of a microscopic image, additional staining or selected molecular biology techniques. Owing to the rapid development of technology, digital images appeared, and scientists from Wroclaw University of Science and Technology decided to use artificial intelligence to analyse them.

– We are currently entering an era when digital image processing and the use of artificial intelligence will accompany us in almost every area of life. This is also true for medicine, where the use of this type of methods is faster and more user-friendly than of traditional solutions, says Łukasz Jeleń, Ph.D. from the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology.

The idea of using artificial intelligence to describe cytological images occurred to Dr. Jeleń during his doctorate, at the Concordia University in Montreal. After talking with his supervisors, he came to the conclusion that it was a complicated issue that had not yet been addressed, so it was worth taking an interest in it.

– I grew up in a medical environment because my dad is a pathomorphologist, and I have always been interested in the use of new technologies in medicine. The beginning was difficult, because in order to be able to search for cancer cells, I had to learn to look at cytological images like a doctor – explains the scientist. – To this day, I am looking for such dependencies in order to be able to describe the difference between healthy and cancerous cells, how they can be described and diagnosed – he adds.

Digital consultation platform

After returning to Poland, he established cooperation with the Department of Pathomorphology and Clinical Cytology at the Medical University of Wrocław and began work on developing a digital platform. It has two functions – a consultation one, where, after logging in, the doctor or patient can upload images for analysis, and an analytical one, where an implemented system uses machine learning to evaluate these photos.

– We decided to analyze cytological images mainly due to the easier access to this type of medical data. Although breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumours in women, cytological tests are very often the next stage of diagnostics. The treatment process is proposed only after they are carried out, explains Dr. Jeleń.

The consultation platform will facilitate the process of information exchange among pathomorphologists, because consultation data can be sent from anywhere. The algorithm developed by our scientist will improve the diagnosis of tumours with respect to their malignancy.

The methodology for classifying image information in this case consists in analysing the image and determining the appropriate characteristics of the cells, which are then evaluated by an algorithm.

– It is one thing to describe the shape and content of a cell, and it's another thing to determine what makes a cancer cell different from a healthy cell. The situation is even more difficult when both cells are potentially cancerous, and we have to determine which is in a worse stage – emphasizes Dr. Jeleń. – We managed to achieve an efficiency of 96%, but it should be borne in mind that our database was not as extensive as we would like it to be. It must be remembered that the IT research industry in medicine has always struggled with the insufficient availability of medical data – he adds.

The value of the project was PLN 800,000. zloty. After it had been completed, the rights to use a fully operational platform were sold to a private entrepreneur.

However, Dr. Jeleń is already planning another project, also related to the classification of breast cancer. It is to be implemented in cooperation with the Medical University of Wrocław and the Lower Silesian Cancer Centre.

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We are going to open a Medical Faculty!

The Faculty of Medicine is being established at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. From the next academic year, 60 people are going to start their first year of medical studies, and the studies will be conducted in cooperation with Wrocław hospitals.   

The opening of a new department at Wrocław University of Science and Technology is a response to the shortage of medical staff faced by almost all hospitals in Poland, but also an opportunity to develop scientific research in the field of medical and health sciences. Nad projektem utworzenia wydziału przez kilka ostatnich miesięcy pracował zespół ekspertów. On Thursday, the WUST Senate gave a positive opinion on the relevant official motion.  

– We have a strong basis at Wrocław University of Science and Technology: mathematics, physics, chemistry, and social sciences. We intend to use them to develop areas where these technical solutions are applied. This is how the largest technical universities in Europe and in the world operate – says Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, the rector. – We are already conducting a lot of medicine-related research at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and since 2017, the University has been implementing over 100 grants in this area.  

Education at the Faculty of Medicine will be conducted in cooperation with Wrocław hospitals, which the Unuversity will soon sign appropriate agreements with. The scientific staff will largely consist of doctors with academic degrees and titles. In October 2023, 60 students are to begin their studies at the new faculty.

The consent to open a medical faculty must be issued by the minister of education and science. Currently, the University is preparing an appropriate application on this matter.