Google, Apollo join hands to leverage AI for early detection of cancers, TB in India

HYDERABAD: Tech giant Google has joined hands with Apollo Radiology International (ARI) to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection of serious diseases in India as part of efforts to ensure equitable and quality healthcare.

As part of this partnership, Google Health and Apollo Group have already developed models for use of AI in radiology and diagnosis for early detection of tuberculosis, breast cancer as well as lung cancer that were unveiled at the global Google Health Check-up event on Tuesday. The AI systems developed by Google are now assisting radiologists in interpreting chest X-ray scans for TB, identifying incidental nodules in cancer patients as well as assisting with interpreting mammograms. These ailments require specialized screening and medical expertise to interpret scans. Over the next 10 years, ARI will use these models to provide three million free AI-powered screenings for TB, lung cancer, and breast cancer, said Shravya Shetty, director & engineering lead, Health AI, Google Research.
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"AI can help on both fronts, making screening more broadly accessible and providing an additional check to identify incidental nodules and follow-up as needed," Shetty added.

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"We've been working with Apollo Radiology International over the past few years to validate our AI systems in regions where they can have the most impact. Today, we continue to collaborate with Apollo as it works towards securing regulatory approvals to bring these models into clinical care in communities across India," Shetty explained.

The use of AI becomes critical given the shortage of trained radiologists to correctly interpret chest X-rays, scans or mammograms, especially given the number of patients in a populous country like India, pointed out Dr Sreenivasa Raju Kalidindi, CEO & medical director, Apollo Radiology International.

As per estimates, over 10 million people get infected by TB every year and over 1.3 million of them die of the disease worldwide annually, with high rates in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. When it comes to breast cancer, India is estimated to have more than three times the death rate as compared to the US.

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