Draft guidance from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved the use of nine artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to speed up radiotherapy treatment.

The technology will be recommended to help patients undergoing radiotherapy for lung, prostate or colorectal cancers and is the first AI technology to be recommended by NICE.

The executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care said the technology will produce contours, which are outlines of healthy organs, so that the cancer treatment is targeted while avoiding healthy cells. The guidance says all contours created by AI must be reviewed by a trained professional and edited as needed before being used in treatment planning.

NICE said that evidence seen by its independent medical technologies advisory committee suggests that AI technologies generally produce similar quality contours of organs at risk as those carried out manually, with most only needing minor edits.

The move could save money and allow healthcare workers to spend more time with patients or concentrate on more complex cases where using AI is not appropriate.

Commenting on the news Sarah Byron, programme director for health technologies at NICE, said that NHS professionals working in radiotherapy departments are under severe pressure and there are several patients waiting for scans.

She said: “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.

“These technologies could decrease the time required to complete a plan so they are able to use their expertise planning the most complex of cases of radiotherapy or free up time to deal with other patient-facing tasks.”

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