AI helps new radiation oncologists outline prostates more accurately and faster
Prostate brachytherapy is an effective cancer treatment, but outlining the prostate on ultrasound is hard to learn, and many new doctors feel unsure doing it. A randomized, blinded phase II trial from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute tested AI that draws first draft contours for trainees to review and edit. Trainees with AI help produced outlines that matched attending physicians’ approved contours much more closely, with the biggest gains among the least experienced residents. Average contouring time fell from 24.2 to 18.5 minutes. Most learners said the AI was educationally valuable, and the presenter described it as a scaffold for learning rather than a shortcut.