[James Sohn, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Chicago]
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in radiation cancer treatment is revolutionizing the efficiency and accuracy of treatment, while freeing up clinicians to spend more time and effort on patient care.
AI-powered automated contouring technology is a prime example, dramatically increasing the efficiency of treatment planning by enabling a task that once took a week to complete to be completed in less than 10 minutes.
Advances in AI technology are becoming increasingly important as the future of radiation therapy changes. Radiation therapy is evolving towards personalized, adaptive, and hypo-fractionated treatments, and AI is playing an integral role in this process.
The key to achieving personalized care is analyzing vast amounts of patient data to derive an optimized treatment plan for each patient. AI algorithms can comprehensively analyze imaging data, clinical information, and more to predict the most effective treatment options with the fewest side effects for individual patients.
Adaptive treatment means adjusting the treatment plan in real time in response to changes in the patient's condition during the course of treatment. AI-powered image analysis technology enables adaptive treatment by dynamically monitoring tumor changes during treatment and dynamically optimizing the irradiation plan accordingly.
Fractionated high-dose therapy is a method of delivering high doses of radiation in a short period of time to shorten treatment duration and improve patients' quality of life.
In order to do this safely and effectively, precise distinction between tumor and normal tissue is essential, and AI-based automatic contouring technology makes this possible.
Korea has become a global leader in medical AI based on its excellent medical infrastructure and IT technology. Through organic cooperation between the government, academia, and industry, we are accelerating the convergence of AI technology and radiation therapy, which is not only leading to a leap in the quality of domestic medical services but also strengthening our competitiveness in the global market.
As a result of these efforts, various medical AI solutions have already been developed and utilized in clinical trials in Korea. In the field of radiation therapy, solutions with AI-based automatic contouring, adaptive treatment planning, and treatment response prediction have been introduced, contributing significantly to improving the efficiency and accuracy of radiation therapy.
These achievements show that Korea has the potential to lead the world in medical AI.
It's clear that AI will be a driver of a paradigm shift in radiation therapy. We need to take the initiative to embrace this wave of change and pool our wisdom to ensure that the benefits of AI technology flow directly to our patients.
At this juncture, it is our calling to boldly challenge and innovate to break new ground in radiotherapy.
