*EMBARGOED All research presented at the 2024 ACG Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course is strictly embargoed until Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 12:00 pm ET.
Oral 12 – Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Colonoscopy Is Associated With Higher Conversions From Screening to Therapeutic Exams
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 2:25 PM – 2:35 PM ET | Terrace Ballroom 1
Author Insight from Tessa Herman, MD
What’s new here and important for clinicians?
Current studies of artificial intelligence assisted colonoscopy (AIAC) focus on its increases in adenoma detection rate (ADR) and lower adenoma miss rate (AMR). Less attention has been paid to the frequently noted increase in non-adenomatous lesion resection rates.
This study is the first to identify that AIAC increases resection rates of benign, non-adenomatous polyps without synchronous removal of adenomatous polyps (12.4% vs 8.4% of colonoscopies with versus without AIAC).
The 4% increase in absolute risk (or relative increase of 32%) is not inconsequential. When only benign non-adenomatous polyps are removed during screening/surveillance/FIT+ colonoscopy, there is no added colorectal cancer prevention value but there are added risks and costs.
The potential risks include procedural complications (namely post-polypectomy bleeding) and the costs, which are largely passed onto patients, payors, and society by way of increased healthcare expenditures. Further, environmental costs from healthcare waste may also rise unnecessarily.
Clinicians must be astutely aware of both the upsides and the downsides of new technology and AIAC is no exception.
What do patients need to know?
Artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy can help to find precancerous polyps during colonoscopies done to help prevent colon cancer.
However, the technology is not perfect and also finds more benign (non-cancerous) polyps that get removed during the colonoscopy.
Therefore, the patient gets more polyps removed during the colonoscopy that would not turn into cancer in the future. This exposes patients to unnecessary polyp removal. This may also lead to higher healthcare costs.
Author Contact
Tessa Herman, MD
University of Minnesota and Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Minneapolis, MN
herma894 [at] umn.edu
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