First U.S. Lab Implements AI-based Solution for Cancer Detection in Pathology
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — CorePlus Servicios Clínicos y Patológicos, LLC, a high complexity CLIA-certified clinical and anatomic pathology laboratory, today announced the first deployment in the Americas of an artificial intelligence (AI) powered digital pathology solution for detecting prostate cancer at its main facilities in Carolina. The deployment includes Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) techniques used to digitize traditional glass slides and the Galen™ Prostate, an AI-based solution for prostate cancer detection, both validated following strict College of American Pathologists’ guidelines. Patients and urologists will now benefit from this technology, which will become the new standard of care for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
There has been a surge in demand for diagnostic tests in recent years, alongside an increase in cancer prevalence. However, these trends coincide with a decline in the number of pathologists who specialize in diagnosing cancer, resulting in greater workloads. In the United States alone, the number of pathologists decreased by nearly 20% in the past decade. Moreover, to this day, pathologists often diagnose cancer by examining biopsies through a microscope, a manual process that is timely and prone to human error.
The new deployment of digital pathology and AI-based solutions at CorePlus will support pathologists in enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. For validation purposes, CorePlus tested the Galen Prostate solution on 1,301 prostate tissue slides digitized using 3DHISTECH scanners. The statistical results showed that the solution was extremely accurate in detecting cancer, with 96.9% Specificity, 96.5% Sensitivity, and a 0.994 Area Under the Curve (AUC) score. The WSI implementation and laboratory conversion to a digital platform was conducted by SYNDEO, a technology firm specializing in the development of innovative diagnostic platforms and solutions to support clinical processes.
The advances in the application and integration of AI are expected to impact critical areas affecting both cost and efficiencies in healthcare diagnostics by reducing diagnostic errors, accelerating access to AI-based second opinions, reducing the use of immunohistochemistry, improving patient care and increasing the body of knowledge in healthcare.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce that pathologists at CorePlus have reported in excess of 500 prostate cases using a novel AI solution developed by our partner, Ibex Medical Analytics from Israel,” said Dr. Juan C. Santa Rosario, CorePlus Medical Director. “The AI algorithm, which is part of the Galen Prostate solution, will allow us to detect cancer and other clinically significant features in prostate cases with greater precision and sensitivity. All prostate cases processed at CorePlus are now evaluated by the AI system as part of our routine clinical practice, providing us with unprecedented quality control,” said Dr. Santa who led the process of digital pathology transformation and AI solution validation.
“This is a transformational moment for pathology, where we have moved away from microscopy-based pathology to AI-powered digital pathology as a foundation for advances in precision medicine diagnosis and treatment,” said Mariano de Socarraz, CorePlus CEO. “We are proud to be the first laboratory in the Americas to reach this breakthrough by combining an AI-powered solution with digital pathology imaging to ascertain the diagnosis of prostate cancer.”
Mr. de Socarraz stressed that, “It is especially significant for CorePlus to have reached this milestone integration of science and technology in Puerto Rico, and to be in a position to offer this innovative contribution for the advancement of diagnostic precision in digital pathology, utilizing our home in Puerto Rico as its launching pad for the world.”
About CorePlus
CorePlus Servicios Clínicos y Patológicos, LLC, has been a pioneer in prostate cancer diagnosis. CorePlus is a high complexity CLIA certified laboratory with facilities in Carolina and Ponce, Puerto Rico. CorePlus has implemented and validated the AI-powered solution pursuant to CLIA laboratory developed test (LDT) regulations and College of American Pathology (CAP) guidelines. The CorePlus Team of Board-certified pathologists have become the first in the US and the Americas to implement primary digital pathology-based diagnostic protocols utilizing Ibex’s Galen Prostate solution.
About SYNDEO
SYNDEO, LLC is a Puerto Rico-based healthcare information technology solutions developer and integrator, which has been a pioneer in the development of platforms for digital pathology, and Artificial Intelligence solutions. The company is a leader in the development of innovative clinical software solutions and platforms, hardware integration, laboratory information systems, and healthcare inter-operability.
