Researchers at St. Erik's Eye Hospital in Stockholm have developed an artificial intelligence tool designed to detect aggressive eye cancer at an early stage, according to a report from Swedish public broadcaster SVT. The AI system targets uveal melanoma, a rare but deadly form of eye cancer where survival rates have not improved since the 1970s.
Professor Gustav Stålhammar, an ophthalmologist at St. Erik's Eye Hospital, stated that the primary goal is to improve survival rates for this aggressive disease, which reportedly kills half of all patients. Uveal melanoma affects up to 700,000 people in Sweden who have pigment spots in the back of the eye, with approximately one in 5,000 cases per year developing into an aggressive tumor.
the primary goal is to improve survival rates for this aggressive disease, which reportedly kills half of all patients
The AI tool is intended to help opticians and ophthalmologists identify dangerous tumors early, as the disease typically shows no symptoms in its initial stages. Currently, many patients with harmless pigment spots are referred to specialists, consuming valuable medical resources. The new technology aims to streamline this process by accurately distinguishing between benign spots and malignant tumors.
According to Professor Stålhammar, uveal melanoma primarily affects blue-eyed individuals and is more common in Scandinavia than in other parts of the world. The disease is believed to be linked to a genetic mutation that occurred approximately 6,000 years ago, which gave humans blue eyes but also created a vulnerability that allows tumor cells to develop.
uveal melanoma primarily affects blue-eyed individuals and is more common in Scandinavia than in other parts of the world
The disease is believed to be linked to a genetic mutation that occurred approximately 6,000 years ago, which gave humans blue eyes but also created a vulnerability that allows tumor cells to develop