Medical artificial intelligence (AI) company Lunit said that it will advance to the second phase of the BreastScreen NSW (BSNSW) Machine Reading Solution Project in Australia.
BSNSW, a collaborative effort between the Australian government, state, and territory governments, is an integral component of the national BreastScreen Australia Program. It is being managed by the Cancer Institute NSW, which is New South Wales’ cancer control agency.
The primary objective of the programme is to improve the survival rates of women diagnosed with breast cancer through early detection assistance.
BSNSW provides free mammograms to women 40 years of age and older to help them combat breast cancer.
In 2022, BSNSW State programme selected Lunit’s AI-powered mammography analysis solution, Lunit INSIGHT MMG, as the preferred AI technology for mammography screening.
The project’s first phase involved comparing historical reports provided by BSNSW radiologists with data from almost 650,000 mammograms to verify the clinical benefits and accuracy of Lunit INSIGHT MMG.
Lunit INSIGHT MMG will go through a prospective validation in the planned production workflow during the next stage two.
Over the course of six months, an estimated 200,000 tests will be evaluated, with the system mirroring the interpretations of radiologists throughout the duration of the phase.
This project phase will also assess the company’s recently US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Lunit INSIGHT DBT, which is an AI solution for 3D breast tomosynthesis.
Lunit CEO Brandon Suh said: “As we progress through the stages of the BreastScreen NSW Machine Reading Solution Project, it’s not just about validation; it’s a journey reshaping the landscape of cancer diagnostics.
“The world’s first deployment of AI in a national cancer screening programme signifies more than technical milestones—it’s about setting a precedent and raising the bar for excellence in healthcare.”
Upon completion of successful stage two, the cancer diagnostics solutions provider will move to the final stage three.
In this phase, the Lunit INSIGHT MMG solution will be integrated into the BSNSW PACS/BIS environment to provide AI reports for screening exams throughout the organisation.
Following the completion of all three phases, Lunit will obtain a five-year operational contract with BSNSW, which includes a 10-year renewal option.
