DigiPath Cancer Fight
Fighting cancer with digital pathology
Health and medicine are fundamental pillars of a sustainable society. Worldwide, cancer is one of the major challenges healthcare professionals are facing and is a leading cause of death. To better understand cancer and develop new treatments, an interdisciplinary approach is needed. Digital pathology, a field at the intersection of medicine and technology, uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to analyze large amounts of medical data quickly and accurately. The use of deep learning models in digital pathology has the potential to reduce physicians' time and workload, minimize potential errors, and improve the accuracy of cancer screening.
The project “DigiPath Cancer Fight” aims to introduce students in grades 8 to 11 from two schools in Graz to the world of digital pathology and give them a deeper understanding of cancer. The project is part of the EU “Cancer” mission and aims to educate young people, teachers and the public about cancer and to raise awareness of the issue. Students will be actively involved in developing and testing cancer diagnosis algorithms to demonstrate how AI works based on their input. The overall goal of the project is to generate enthusiasm for cancer research, impart technological skills and enable students to actively, but critically contribute to the fight against cancer using digital pathology tools.
Experienced mentors from the fields of pathology, BioBanking and computer science will accompany the students. In workshops, practical exercises and joint activities as well as an excursion to the Medical University of Graz, they will learn how to use digital pathology tools and analyze various data sets. In addition, the project promotes an understanding of the importance of cancer prevention and patient-oriented care among students, their school colleagues, parents, teachers and society as a whole.
(Fotocredit © Iva Brcic)