As in all sectors and professions of the new age, artificial intelligence is at the borders of our profession. Artificial intelligence, in its simplest sense, is the ability of a computer or a computer-controlled robot to perform various activities, similar to intelligent creatures, with maximum previously acquired data. The introduction of this concept into our lives, about which we can have exhausting discussions about its cuteness, is based on the famous question asked by the British mathematical genius Mathison Turing in the 1950s and on which he made remarkable affirmations. “Can machines think?”
Although it is debated whether artificial intelligence can be a loss or gain for humanity, we focus on Radiation Oncology. Let's see what it will bring. Radiotherapy and artificial intelligence have been in a time-saving collaboration for a long time. Especially the automatic atlas-based contouring (the process of determining the target volume and normal tissues to be protected on computerized tomography sections) systems that we have been using in clinics since the early 2000s can be considered one of the best examples of artificial intelligence. Automatic contouring concept; The aim is to create a template at certain intervals with the information obtained from the tomography data of patients who have previously been contoured and to transfer this created template to the tomography data of new patients. In a study conducted at Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEB), it was reported that the average volume determination time decreased from 90 minutes to 54 minutes with the automatic contouring system used. Therefore, while automatic contouring saves time, it is also possible to minimize errors that may occur due to people. Here, I cannot help but mention that personal errors - which are not very worrying in terms of discourse - are the first of the topics that we attach great importance to in radiotherapy...
Nowadays, there are many commercial automatic contouring systems, the current situation is a side that cannot be ignored. It also brings industrial development. In addition, a point emphasized at the joint meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the National Cancer Institute and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine in Bethesda in 2015 is quite remarkable; "Radiation Oncology is a branch of cancer research, quality control and clinical practice." It will be one of the leading platforms for the use of big data, called "big data", in many subjects, from small applications to small applications. “radiomics”. With Radiogenemics, it will be possible to predict the response to treatment and the tissue toxicity that will develop in patients who will undergo radiotherapy, and thus, patients who will truly benefit will be directed to this treatment.
Automatic contouring systems and "radiogenemic" studies. Will it take away our jobs or will it allow us to spend more time on our main job? We will all experience this together.
Although the "freedom to unplug" may jokingly reassure some people, I am an optimist who believes in our capacity to evaluate the opportunities that come our way and that saving time will open up new horizons for our work as a vital development. I'm on the side.
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