Artificial intelligence could soon be used to perform radiotherapy to treat certain cancers for the first time. Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has given approval to nine AI technologies for performing external beam radiotherapy in lung, prostate and colorectal cancers, which could save radiographers hundreds of thousands of hours and help relieve pressure on radiotherapy departments. Currently therapeutic radiographers outline healthy organs on digital images of a CT or MRI scan by hand so that the radiotherapy does not damage healthy cells by minimising the dose to normal tissue. Nice found that using AI to create the contours could free up between three and 80 minutes of radiographers’ time for each treatment plan, and that AI-generated contours were of a similar quality to manually drawn ones. Nice said that the contours would still be reviewed by a trained healthcare professional. It comes after a study found AI was safe to use in breast cancer screenings with evidence growing that it can be more effective in detecting cancers. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Meanwhile, Nice said it was also examining the evidence for using AI in stroke and chest scans. Dr Sarah Byron, the programme director for health technologies at Nice, said using AI could help reduce waiting lists. She added: “NHS colleagues working on the frontline in radiotherapy departments are under severe pressure with thousands of people waiting for scans. “The role imaging plays in radiotherapy treatment planning is quite pivotal, so recommending the use of AI technologies to help support treatment planning alongside clinical oversight by a trained healthcare professional could save both time and money. “We will continue to focus on what matters most and the recommendations made by our independent committee can help to bring waiting lists down for those needing radiotherapy treatment.” The health secretary, Steve Barclay, welcomed the announcement. He said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see the first positive recommendation for AI technologies from a Nice committee, as I’ve been clear the NHS must embrace innovation to keep fit for the future. “These tools have the potential to improve efficiency and save clinicians thousands of hours of time that can be spent on patient care. Smart use of tech is a key part of our NHS long-term workforce plan, and we’re establishing an expert group to work through what skills and training NHS staff may need to make best use of AI.” Charlotte Beardmore, the executive director of professional policy at the Society of Radiographers, welcomed the draft guidance but said it was not a replacement for staff and caution was needed. “It is critical there is evidence to underpin the safe application of AI in this clinical setting,” she said. Using AI would still require input by a therapeutic radiographer or another member of the oncology multi-professional team, she added. “Investment in the growth of the radiography workforce remains critical.” Science is pretty amazing. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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As the “culture war” over drag queens, LGBT+ pride and transgender rights continues in America, actor and TV personality Whoopi Goldberg has waded into the discourse to slam “snowflakes” over Target being forced to remove Pride displays in its stores due to violent threats. The US retail giant issued a statement on Wednesday to say it would remove certain items “at the centre of the most significant confrontational behaviour” which was impacting staff’s “sense of safety and wellbeing”. Offering her take on ABC’s The View, the Sister Act actor responded to comments from fellow panellist Alyssa Farah Griffin and said: “I’m sorry, I don’t know what controversial means, having been called controversial for most of my career the last 40 years. “People decide what’s controversial and they point. You know, they say, ‘oh, you got that on your shirt’. You don’t know what this is, and you’ve made a decision about it. “I’m all for protecting the folks [at Target], I don’t know if they called the cops, maybe they did and they felt this was the right way. I am sick of people moving my desires, because their desires are not being met in some way. “I am sick of people telling me I can’t go to a drag show. I am sick of people telling me that my friends are different because you don’t understand them. I’m sick of it.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Goldberg went on to add that “this is America” and that people are “supposed to be able to be whoever you are”, to loud applause from the audience. She added: “Stop with all this stuff. You want to talk about snowflakes? Who are the snowflakes, really?” Sunny Hostin chipped in: “The people scared of a [Pride] flag.” Goldberg continued: “The people scared of a flag, the people scared of a drag brunch. It’s a brunch! It’s a brunch!” “I’m getting really tired of this and I’m trying not to say any bad words.” The LGBT+ campaigner has since been praised for her remarks: Last week Goldberg made headlines with Michael J Fox, when the Back to the Future star revealed he turned down the chance to work with the actor on the hit movie Ghost. “I said, ‘Whoopi’s great, but it’ll never work.’ And then it was great and huge, and I’m a f***ing idiot,” he said. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Metaphor, a reliable Call of Duty leaker, recently revealed in a tweet that slide canceling could possibly be added to Modern Warfare 2. The initial tweet stat