Effectiveness of Ophtascan Screening in Lubumbashi. Pilot Study on Screening for Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Purpose: Screening and early treatment are the best strategy for controlling cancer and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Based on artificial intelligence, new software Ophtascan allows the early detection of the following cancers: cervix, endometrium, breast, prostate, lung as well as type 2 diabetes, from the image of the eyes. The objectives of this study were to test the reliability of the test in the detection of type 2 diabetes and to present the prevalence of oncological pathologies detected.

Methodology: screening was carried out in two stages: a technical test of the program and mass screening at the University Clinics of Lubumbashi and the Sendwe Hospital of Lubumbashi among volunteers from April 2023 to July 2023.

Findings: Of the 98 volunteers screened including 32 men and 66 women, the risk of the following cancers was detected by Ophtascan: in men, 12.5%, 28% and 6% respectively for the prostate, lung (pre-cancer) and lung while in women we had 1.5%, 6%, 3%, 4.5% and 3% respectively for cervix (pre-cancer), cervical cancer, endometrial, breast (pre- cancer) and breast. This cancer screening trial was not accompanied by clinical confirmation of detected diseases due high cost and practical problems. T2DM trial was accompanied by lab blood test for confirmation of results. Proved sensitiviy of Ophtascan for T2DM achieved 91% within blind clinical trial and 100% within technical trial, and 72% of screened people did not suspect they had this disease, detected by Ophtascan.

Unique Contribution to theory, Policy and Practice: Ophtascan is feasible in our environment and seems to have high reliability for the detection of type 2 diabetes as screening tool. Ophtascan certainly detected most of the targeted cancers, but the low number of cases does not allow solid conclusions to be drawn. The difficulty of validation for all types of cancer mentioned above due to its high cost for patients, we propose to carry out a new pilot research project which will focus on cervical cancer, for which early treatment is possible at a low cost in our environment.