Public Funding for St. Mark's Hospital Foundation

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has the 4th highest incidence of all cancers in the UK and the 3rd highest worldwide. 1.4m new cases and 0.7m related deaths are reported each year. The incidence and number of deaths is estimated to rise by 60% by 2030\. The current global economic impact is estimated to be £100Bn. There are 230k people living in the UK with CRC, with 41k new incidents and 16k related deaths reported yearly. The gold standard in detection and diagnosis of CRC is colonoscopy. In a colonoscopy procedure the inner surface of the large intestine is inspected with a camera on a flexible tube, called the endoscope. The endoscopist can identify and diagnose lesions, which might require treatment. There are 2m colonoscopies conducted in the UK and 66m worldwide. It is a very common clinical procedure, however, there are a number of unmet clinical needs. The RESECT-AI project will use machine learning to support therapy in endoscopy procedures. The depth of invasion of cancer will be determined from endoscopic images to stratify patients to endoscopic resection or colorectal surgery, the residual tissue will be detected, and the risk of bleeding will be predicted post-resection. RESECT-AI will reduce cost to healthcare payers, improve patient outcomes and improve patient experience.