UK-Israel collaboration helps NHS improve detection of prostate cancer

Ibex Medical Analytics, an Israeli company that develops cancer diagnostic software has teamed up with LDPath, a British company that provides digital pathology services to the Nation Health Service (NHS) in England, have teamed up to speed up the detection of prostate cancer in the UK.

A shortage of pathologists in the UK, similar to that of other countries such as the United States, has led to up to six-week waits in cancer diagnosis. This coupled with increase demand for testing has meant the system is under a great deal of pressure.

Thankfully, Israeli ingenuity has come to the rescue in order to help speed up the process and potentially save lives.

Times of Israel reports:

LDPath, which provides histopathological imaging and reporting services to 24 NHS trusts throughout the UK, including large teaching hospitals and district general hospitals, will integrate Ibex’s prostate solution into its digital pathology workflow.

The software developed by Ibex, which has received European approval, will use AI-based algorithms to analyze prostate biopsies at LDPath, comparing them with the pathologist’s diagnosis. LDPath pathologists will be alerted in the event of significant discrepancy between their diagnosis and the algorithm’s findings, “providing a safety net that helps minimize diagnostic errors in the lab by enhancing quality control,” the statement said.

“Cancer cases continue to rise, and with the pathology practice experiencing a worldwide shortage, AI-based technologies can drive new workflows for pathology that will be critical for improving cancer care practices for patients, pathologists, labs and entire healthcare systems,” said Joseph Mossel, Ibex Medical Analytics CEO and co-founder, in the statement.

The collaboration with Ibex will enable LDPath to be the “first UK pathology provider to integrate AI into the digital pathology workflow” to improve cancer diagnosis, said Sanj Lallie, director of operations at LDPath, in the statement. “This is a significant step in realizing the benefits of AI tools within the UK as we continue to redefine traditional workflows across our NHS network.”