Double-Edged Sword Of AI In Mammography Reveals Potential And Barriers For People Of Color

Integrating AI in mammography offers a new era in breast cancer detection. However, there are concerns for people of color.

The technology, which is becoming increasingly accessible, has the potential to enhance early detection rates beyond the current 87% achieved by traditional mammograms, as reported by The New York Times. 

AI algorithms are not working at identifying subtle signs of cancer that conventional methods may miss, thereby reducing false positives and unnecessary treatments.

The Concerns For People Of Color

Despite these advancements, the adoption of AI-enhanced mammography faces significant hurdles. 

One such challenge is the need for standardized billing codes, leaving patients to shoulder additional costs ranging from $40 to $100. 

This financial burden could limit access, particularly among underprivileged communities, and raises questions about the necessity of these advanced screenings for all patients.

A more pressing concern is the effectiveness of AI mammograms in detecting breast cancer in people of color, especially those with darker skin tones. 

Studies have shown that Black women face a 40% higher mortality rate from breast cancer compared to other demographics. 

Therefore, AI technologies must be trained and tested on diverse datasets to ensure they are equally effective across all races and ethnicities. 

“There’s a need for diverse training and testing of these AI tools and algorithms to develop them across different races and ethnicities,” Dr. Dodelzon said, according to Black Enterprise.

Despite these challenges, patients at higher risk of breast cancer, particularly Black women, are encouraged to consider AI-enhanced mammograms.