July 2022 Digital Health Roundup

July 2022 Digital Health Roundup

This July, healthcare providers partner up with technology to give cancer patients a better outcome. Gamma Knife technology, a knife-free approach, helps to treat brain and neck cancers. Radiologists use artificial intelligence (AI) to help them catch more cancers on mammograms, leading to increased survivability. The United Kingdom is using technology, in the form of drones, to deliver chemotherapy to cancer patients in isolated areas.

Gamma Knife Technology Treats Brain Tumors Without Surgery

Despite the name, there is no cutting or incisions involved in the Gamma Knife method; instead, radiation and computer-guided planning are used to treat abnormalities in the brain reports TheBlade.com. This technique treats metastatic cancer, malignancies, benign tumors, lesions, and malformations in the head and neck area. The use of gamma rays to the affected area is precise and helps to keep the surrounding tissue healthy. The Gamma Knife is a way to get surgery without using a knife. There is no pain, no anesthesia, the only requirement is that the patient must lay still. This technique is a good choice for people who are unable to undergo surgery, underwent prior brain surgery, or have tumors located in hard-to-reach places. Cancer patients that go through this procedure, have follow-up MRIs to check the status of the area treated. Find more information here.

Doctors Using AI Catch Breast Cancer More Often Than Either Does Alone

Radiologists assisted by an AI screen for breast cancer more successfully than they do when they work alone, according to new research. That same AI produces more accurate results in the hands of radiologists than it does when operating solo reports MITtechnologyreview.com. This artificial intelligence (AI) is called Vara and has been fed data from over 360,000 mammograms with the notes and assessments from the radiologists. It is being used in Germany and Mexico. This AI saves lives by analyzing mammograms and categorizes them as normal or abnormal, the not normal ones are flagged for the radiologist to review. There is a shortage of specialists, and this can help the radiologists free up more time to spend with patients. Radiologists alone can miss catching some of the cancer on the mammograms due to working long hours and being tired. Radiologists review everything the AI interprets and together cancer patients are getting better diagnosis and treatment. Find more information here.

UK Tries Cancer Meds by Drone

The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has launched the world’s first trial to deliver chemotherapy via drone – a move that could make receiving cancer treatment cheaper, more convenient and less taxing on patients and the environment reports Freethink.com. Some patients must travel several hours using different modes of transportation to get their chemotherapy. The drone can deliver the medication in a matter of minutes to a hospital or doctor office that is closer to the patient. This delivery method cuts transportation costs to the patient and lowers carbon emissions, impacting the environment. The UK is creating drone corridors to hospitals. Recently, drones have been used to deliver medical supplies in war zones, coronavirus tests to labs, and delivered transplant organs. Find more information here.