A real world evaluation of an innovative artificial intelligence tool for population-level breast cancer screening
Karthik Adapa, Ashu Gupta, Sandeep Singh, Hitinder Kaur, Abhinav Trikha, Ajoy Sharma, Kumar Rahul
Abstract
In resource-constrained countries like India, mammography-based breast screening is challenging to implement. This state-wide study, funded by the Government of Punjab, evaluated the use of Thermalytix, a low-cost, radiation-free AI tool, for breast cancer screening. Community health workers, trained to raise awareness, mobilized women aged 30 and above for screening. Thermalytix triaged women into five risk categories based on thermal images, with high-risk women recalled for diagnostic imaging. Over 18 months, 15,069 women were screened across 183 locations in Punjab. The median age was 41 years, and 69.9% were asymptomatic. Of 460 women testing positive (recall rate 3.1%), 268 underwent follow-up imaging, and 27 were confirmed with breast cancer, yielding a detection rate of 0.18%. The positive predictive value of biopsy performed was 81.81%, and the median diagnostic interval was 21 days, with therapy initiation within 30 days. The study demonstrates the potential of Thermalytix for effective population-level breast cancer screening in low-resource settings.