The Challenge to Conquer Cancer, Prognostic Prediction Analysis of Lung Cancer Using AI

Deargen has been selected for the 2017 National Program for Cancer Control that is hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Cancer Center. Deargen will develop an integrated prognostic analysis model of lung cancer using artificial intelligence by collaboration with St. Mary’s Hospital and Dankook University.

The National Program for Cancer Control is a national research and development project. It is hosted and organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in order to promote the development of domestic cancer research and contribute to the public’s health and welfare by making and planning cancer-related policies.

The selected project, as a research title of “Development of an Integrated Prognosis Analysis Model of Lung Cancer Using Multiple Medical Information-based Deep Neural Network Artificial Intelligence Techniques”, will be supported with a total of 2.5 billion won research grant for 5 years from 2017 to 2022. 

This project is carried out in collaboration with Catholic University St. Mary’s Hospital and Dankook University. Each clinical data is provided by Catholic University St. Mary’s Hospital that performs this project together. This will enable patients to be registered with the capacity of a total of 4,700 beds in a short period of time. 

We are in charge of implementing an artificial intelligence model and aims to create a deep learning model that integrates various types of medical information such as pathological images, CT images, NGS genomic data, and clinical data of lung cancer. It will be possible to create more accurate prognostic prediction models in comparison with prognostic predictions based on one type of data.

Professor Geun-su Kang (CSO of Deergen Inc. and Adjunct Professor in Dankook University) said, “The effective treatment plan is especially important for lung cancer patients because the survival time and treatment prognosis greatly differ depending on each patient. If it is possible to make accurate prognostic predictions based on the information of the lung cancer patients, it will make a big difference in the international cancer market as well as national development.”

We consider it very meaningful that it was selected for the national project within only four months since Deargen’s establishment in December 2016. Besides, we aim to build a web service that can be directly used in hospitals by making the lung cancer prognosis prediction algorithm models into a web platform. Also, we are expected to change the paradigm against cancer by applying this to other carcinomas.