Mine-Hunting Software Identifies Rare Cancer-Related Cells

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-funded software developed for locating and detecting undersea mines can assist doctors in identifying and classifying cancer-related cells, according to recent demonstrations by medical researchers. Interestingly, the problem that physicians are often faced with when examining images of human cells is very similar to the Navy's challenge of detecting undersea mines.

During tissue sample analysis, doctors must sift through hundreds of microscopic images containing millions of cells. To isolate specific cells that hold interest, they use an automated image analysis software toolkit called FARSIGHT, which means Fluorescence Association Rules for Quantitative Insight. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), FARSIGHT technology seeks out cells according to a pattern of examples selected by a physician. However, the results can often be false because the computer mistakenly tags wrong examples due to the small sampling.

Researchers claim that with the addition of ONR’s active learning software, cells are identified more accurately and FARSIGHT’s performance becomes more consistent. This enhanced toolkit requires doctors to select fewer cell samples because the algorithm automatically selects the best example sets to teach the software.

A medical team at the University of Pennsylvania is now applying the FARSIGHT-embedded ONR algorithms to examine tumors from kidney cancer patients. By carefully monitoring endothelial cells that constitute the blood vessels that supply the tumors with oxygen and nutrients, researchers could one day improve drug treatments for varying instances of kidney cancer.

Researchers have previously not studied endothelial cells of human cancer because it is very difficult and time-consuming to accomplish. It can take days, even weeks, for a pathologist to selectively isolate all the endothelial cells present in 100 images. The enhanced FARSIGHT toolkit can bring the same results in only a few hours but with human accuracy.

The Office of Naval Research’s active learning software was originally engineered to modify robotic mine-hunting programs to behave more like a human when there is uncertainty about classifying an unknown object. Using information theory, the software asks humans to provide labels to classify those items. This feature is critical in naval warfare, where traditionally, divers were the only means of identifying unknown objects beneath the ocean.

Elijah Lamond


Disclaimer

Featured Doctors

Eastchester Center for Cancer Care Bronx, NY

 Eastchester Center for Cancer Care
Eastchester Center for Cancer Care

Eastchester Center for Cancer Care
2330 Eastchester Road
Bronx, NY 10649

Call: (888) 860-7136

Breast Cancer Westchester, NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Cancer Treatment Centers of America Locations

Cancer Treatment Centers of America

,

Call: 888-417-1667

Colon Cancer Westchester, New York

 Center for Advanced Surgery | Colorectal, GI and Endocrine Surgery
Center for Advanced Surgery | Colorectal, GI and Endocrine Surgery

Center for Advanced Surgery
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708

Call: 888-468-9351

Oncologist Bronx, NY

 Eastchester Center for Cancer Care
Eastchester Center for Cancer Care

Eastchester Center for Cancer Care
2330 Eastchester Road
Bronx, NY 10469

Call: (888) 860-7136

Cancer Treatment Center NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Breast Cancer Surgery Westchester, New York

 The Columbia University Comprehensive Breast Center at Lawrence Hospital
The Columbia University Comprehensive Breast Center at Lawrence Hospital

Center for Advanced Surgery
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708

Call: 888-468-9351

Lymph Cancer Westchester, NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Oncology/ Oncologist Hawthorne, NY

Dr. Asim Aijaz, M.D.
Asim Aijaz, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Goodyear, Arizona Cancer Treatment Center

 Cancer Hospital Near Phoenix
Cancer Hospital Near Phoenix

Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Goodyear, Arizona
14200 W. Fillmore Street
Goodyear, AZ 85338

Call: 800-434-4215

Mammogram Center - Mammography Center Westchester, NY

 Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging | Women's Imaging Center
Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging | Women's Imaging Center

Lawrence Hospital Center | Outpatient Services
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708

Call: (888) 544-1169

Colon Cancer Westchester, NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Colon Cancer Westchester, New York

 Center for Advanced Surgery | Colorectal, GI and Endocrine Surgery
Center for Advanced Surgery | Colorectal, GI and Endocrine Surgery

Center for Advanced Surgery
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708

Call: 888-468-9351

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cancer Treatment Center

 Cancer Hospital in PA
Cancer Hospital in PA

Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1331 East Wyoming Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19124

Call: 800-821-6032

Tulsa, Oklahoma Cancer Treatment Center

 Cancer Hospital in OK
Cancer Hospital in OK

Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma
10109 E. 79th Street (81st Street & Highway 169)
Tulsa, OK 74133

Call: 800-655-1253

Chicago, Illinois Cancer Treatment Center

 Cancer Hospital in Zion
Cancer Hospital in Zion

Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, Illinois
2520 Elisha Avenue
Zion, IL 60099

Call: 800-403-7412

Ovarian Cancer Westchester, NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Cancer Treatment Center NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Mammogram Center - Mammography Center Westchester, NY

 Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging | Women's Imaging Center
Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging | Women's Imaging Center

Lawrence Hospital Center | Outpatient Services
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708

Call: (888) 544-1169

Cancer Treatment Center NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Skin Cancer Westchester, NY

Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.
Tauseef Ahmed, M.D.

Westchester Oncology & Hematology
19 Bradhurst Avenue
Hawthorne, NY 10532

Call: 888-370-4284

Mammogram Center - Mammography Center Westchester, NY

 Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging | Women's Imaging Center
Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging | Women's Imaging Center

Lawrence Hospital Center | Outpatient Services
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708

Call: (888) 544-1169

Texas Colonoscopy Centers

 The Texas Colonoscopy Centers
The Texas Colonoscopy Centers

The MicroSurgery Institute

,

Call: 888-493-1243