South Korean medical AI company Lunit is helping raise Sweden's cancer screening capability by partnering with one of the country's biggest private healthcare providers.

It recently signed a three-year agreement with Capio S:t Göran Hospital to supply and license its AI-powered mammography analysis software Lunit INSIGHT MMG. 

According to a press release, the AI tool will enable the hospital to analyse breast images of approximately 78,000 patients each year. 

WHY IT MATTERS

For years, there has been a reported shortage of medical professionals and specialists in Sweden, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare. Lunit claims its AI solution has the potential to fill this gap while also enhancing the country's national cancer screening programme by improving the accuracy of cancer detection using AI.

Capio S:t Göran's decision to adopt Lunit INSIGHT MMG was largely informed by a recent study on its application in a medical setting. The software was used to analyse breast image data from over 55,000 Swedish patients of Capio S:t Göran. It was shown that the AI tool achieved higher cancer detection rates and lower recall rates compared to the analysis performed by two radiologists.

It is said that the hospital will become the first breast centre to use AI as an independent reader of mammograms, relieving the excessive amount of reading for radiologists and ensuring shorter wait times for patients. 

THE LARGER TREND

Lunit recently set up its wholly-owned European subsidiary in the Netherlands, which is ushering in the expansion of its sales network and partnerships. It seemed to want to take a piece out of the $20 billion market, which was forecasted to grow to $163 billion in revenue by 2027. 

In other related news, Lunit last week announced its collaboration with the National Cancer Center Hospital East in Japan to evaluate and validate its AI pathology solution for tissue data analysis, Lunit SCOPE.

ON THE RECORD

"This collaboration represents a significant milestone in leveraging AI technology to address the radiologist shortage in Sweden. Lunit INSIGHT MMG has the potential to revolutionise mammography analysis, make a substantial contribution to the national cancer screening programme, and ultimately improve patient outcomes as well," Lunit CEO Brandon Suh commented.