The Prince Philip Dental Hospital in Hong Kong has opened a new AI-powered clinic focused on the prevention and early detection of oral cancer.
The clinic was set up with the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Dentistry.
Touted as a first of its kind in the world, the clinic is equipped with an HKU-developed web tool called OralCancerPredict, which has shown an average accuracy of 94% in detecting patients with a high risk of oral cancer.
The decision support tool utilises multiple information, including patient demographics, comorbidities, clinical appearance, and histological features, to calculate the probability of oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid cases (which are common potentially malignant mouth lesions) turning into cancer. It also provides risk classifications and the rationale behind them.
Developed in 2021, the technology is based on an AI model trained using a large cohort of patients at the Queen Mary Hospital between 2003 and 2022. It was later validated against datasets of large cohorts in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
WHY IT MATTERS
Citing global data, HKU said only half of oral cancer patients survive five years after a diagnosis. In Hong Kong, this represents six in 10 patients, and this is due to late diagnosis.
“As a result, there is a need to intensify efforts and public action to promote city-wide oral cancer prevention and early detection,” the university stressed.
The new PPDH clinic is open to referred patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid lesions. It also offers treatment and periodic follow-up.
THE LARGER TREND
Over the years, HKU has promoted the development and use of AI in detecting oral diseases, particularly gingivitis or gum inflammation. The Faculty of Dentistry was involved in building an AI model for detecting gingivitis, which has shown over 90% accuracy in a study released in 2023. Last year, it launched a community-based program for screening gum inflammation among the elderly using AI.
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