A recent study suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) may be a game-changer in the diagnosis and treatment of a rare form of cancer. Researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research found that AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans. This advancement could potentially benefit thousands of patients by improving treatment outcomes and enabling faster diagnosis.
The AI technology, which is already showing promise in diagnosing breast cancers and reducing treatment times, has the ability to recognize details that are not visible to the naked eye. By analyzing large amounts of data, AI can identify patterns and make predictions, ultimately leading to more effective personalized treatment for patients.
The researchers used a technique called radiomics to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma, a type of cancer that develops in the connective tissue of the back of the abdomen, in scans of 170 patients. The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors in other patients more accurately than traditional biopsies, which involve analyzing a small part of the cancerous tissue under a microscope.
One patient, Tina McLaughlan, who was diagnosed with a sarcoma at the back of her abdomen, expressed the potential benefits of AI in providing quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment. With the help of AI, high-risk patients could receive specific treatment tailored to the biology of their cancer, while low-risk patients may be spared unnecessary treatments and follow-up scans.
The researchers are hopeful that this AI technology can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma. The potential for personalized treatment plans and faster diagnosis is seen as a significant step forward in cancer care.
Original news source: Scientists excited by AI tool that grades severity of rare cancer (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Students will be divided into small groups. Each group will have to summarize the article in their own words, focusing on the main points. They will have to present their summary to the class within a 3-minute limit, highlighting the key findings and potential impact of the AI technology on cancer care.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Place a line of tape down the center of the classroom to represent the opinion spectrum, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Read out statements related to the use of AI in healthcare, such as “AI should be trusted to diagnose all types of cancers,” and have students place themselves along the spectrum according to their opinion. Encourage students to explain their position to the class, fostering a discussion on the ethics and reliability of AI in medical treatments.
– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down keywords from the article (e.g., AI, diagnosis, radiomics, sarcoma, personalized treatment) on separate cards. In pairs or small groups, students must explain the word on the card to their peers without using the keyword itself or five additional taboo words listed on the card. This will challenge students to use their vocabulary and paraphrasing skills to convey the concepts related to the article.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Extract challenging vocabulary from the article (e.g., aggressiveness, analyze, connective tissue, biopsy) and list them on the board. Students must work in pairs to brainstorm synonyms or simpler explanations for each term. This activity will help students expand their vocabulary and improve their ability to describe complex medical terms in simpler language.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: After discussing the article, ask students to imagine the future implications of AI in healthcare. In small groups, students will write a short paragraph predicting how AI could change cancer treatment and diagnosis in the next 10 years. They will share their predictions with the class and discuss which seem the most likely and why, thus practicing future tense and hypothetical language structures.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What type of cancer is the recent study focusing on diagnosing and treating with the help of AI?
2. How much more accurate was AI compared to the current method in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans?
3. What are the potential benefits mentioned for patients if AI is used for diagnosis and treatment?
4. In diagnosing which other type of cancer has AI technology already shown promise?
5. What technique did the researchers use to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in patient scans?
6. How did the AI algorithm’s accuracy in grading tumor aggressiveness compare to that of traditional biopsies?
7. What did Tina McLaughlan say about the potential benefits of AI for her condition?
8. What are the researchers’ hopes for the global use of AI technology in cancer care?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A recent (1)______ suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) may be a game-changer in the (2)______ and (3)______ of a rare form of cancer. Researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research found that AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans. This (4)______ could potentially benefit thousands of patients by improving treatment outcomes and enabling faster diagnosis.
The AI technology, which is already showing promise in diagnosing breast cancers and reducing treatment times, has the ability to recognize (5)______ that are not (6)______ to the naked eye. By analyzing (7)______ amounts of data, AI can (8)______ patterns and make predictions, ultimately leading to more effective personalized treatment for patients.
The researchers used a technique called radiomics to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma, a type of cancer that develops in the (9)______ tissue of the back of the abdomen, in (10)______ of 170 patients. The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors in other patients more accurately than traditional biopsies, which involve analyzing a small part of the cancerous tissue under a microscope.
One patient, Tina (11)______, who was diagnosed with a sarcoma at the back of her abdomen, expressed the potential benefits of AI in (12)______ quicker diagnosis and more (13)______ treatment. With the help of AI, high-risk patients could (14)______ specific treatment tailored to the biology of their cancer, while low-risk patients may be spared unnecessary (15)______ and follow-up scans.
The researchers are hopeful that this AI technology can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma. The potential for personalized treatment plans and faster diagnosis is seen as a (16)______ step forward in cancer care.
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Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What do you think about the role of AI in healthcare today?
2. How would you feel if an AI system was responsible for diagnosing your health condition?
3. Do you believe AI can be more accurate than human doctors in some areas of medicine? Why or why not?
4. What is your opinion on the use of AI for personalized treatment plans?
5. How do you think the integration of AI in medicine will impact the job market for healthcare professionals?
6. Have you or someone you know ever been affected by a rare disease, and how do you think AI could have impacted their diagnosis or treatment?
7. Do you think there are ethical concerns with AI making decisions about a patient’s treatment? Why or why not?
8. What is your understanding of radiomics, and how do you think it can change the future of medical imaging?
9. How would you feel about the privacy of your medical data being used to train AI systems?
10. Do you think AI will make healthcare more or less expensive in the long run? Why?
11. What is your opinion on the potential for AI to reduce treatment times for serious illnesses?
12. Do you think AI should be used in conjunction with human doctors, or can it function independently? Why?
13. How do you feel about the possibility of AI sparing patients from unnecessary treatments?
14. Do you think the benefits of AI in cancer care will be accessible to everyone, or only a select few? Why?
15. How do you envision AI changing the way we approach not just cancer, but other diseases in the future?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. artificial
2. diagnosis
3. rare
4. aggressive
5. radiomics
6. sarcoma
7. personalized
8. significant
Meanings:
(a) Identifying a disease or illness
(b) Intensely competitive or combative
(c) Uncommon or unusual
(d) The study of medical imaging data
(e) Tailored to an individual’s needs
(f) A type of cancer
(g) Important or meaningful
(h) Not natural or real
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What did the recent study suggest about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer diagnosis and treatment?
(a) AI may be a game-changer
(b) AI is not as accurate as the current method
(c) AI has no impact on cancer diagnosis and treatment
(d) AI is not suitable for diagnosing rare forms of cancer
2. What did the researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research find about the accuracy of AI in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans?
(a) AI was less accurate than the current method
(b) AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method
(c) AI was equally accurate as the current method
(d) AI was not accurate at all in grading cancer aggressiveness
3. What is the potential benefit of AI in cancer diagnosis and treatment, according to the article?
(a) Improving treatment outcomes and enabling faster diagnosis
(b) Increasing the cost of treatment for patients
(c) Making treatment outcomes worse
(d) Slowing down the diagnosis process
4. What technique did the researchers use to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in scans of 170 patients?
(a) Biopsies
(b) Microscopic analysis
(c) Radiomics
(d) Traditional imaging techniques
5. How did the AI algorithm compare to traditional biopsies in grading the aggressiveness of tumors?
(a) The AI algorithm was less accurate than traditional biopsies
(b) The AI algorithm was equally accurate as traditional biopsies
(c) The AI algorithm was not able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors
(d) The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors more accurately
6. What potential benefit did Tina McLaughlan express about the use of AI in cancer diagnosis and treatment?
(a) Longer treatment times and more follow-up scans
(b) No benefit at all
(c) Quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment
(d) Slower diagnosis and less effective treatment
7. What is the hope of the researchers regarding the use of AI technology in improving the lives of people with sarcoma?
(a) That it will have no impact on the lives of people with sarcoma
(b) That it will only be used in a few hospitals
(c) That it will not be effective in improving the lives of people with sarcoma
(d) That it can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma
8. What is seen as a significant step forward in cancer care, according to the article?
(a) The lack of advancement in cancer care
(b) The potential for personalized treatment plans and faster diagnosis
(c) The inability of AI to improve cancer care
(d) The reliance on traditional methods for cancer care
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors more accurately than traditional biopsies.
2. Researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research found that AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method in grading the aggressiveness of a rare form of cancer from scans.
3. AI has the ability to recognize details that are not visible to the naked eye by analyzing large amounts of data.
4. The AI technology has shown limitations in diagnosing breast cancers and increasing treatment times.
5. The researchers used a technique called radiomics to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in scans of 170 patients.
6. The potential for impersonal treatment plans and slower diagnosis is seen as a significant setback in cancer care.
7. One patient, Tina McLaughlan, expressed the potential drawbacks of AI in providing slower diagnosis and less effective treatment for sarcoma.
8. The researchers are hopeful that AI technology can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What type of cancer is the recent study focusing on, and how is AI improving its diagnosis and treatment?
2. How does the AI technology used by researchers at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research compare to current methods in grading the aggressiveness of cancer?
3. What technique did the researchers use to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in patient scans, and how many patients’ scans were analyzed?
4. How did Tina McLaughlan, a patient diagnosed with sarcoma, describe the potential benefits of AI in cancer diagnosis and treatment?
5. What are the researchers’ hopes for the global application of AI technology in the treatment of sarcoma, and what are the anticipated benefits for patients?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What type of cancer is the recent study focusing on diagnosing and treating with the help of AI?
The study is focusing on diagnosing and treating retroperitoneal sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that develops in the connective tissue of the back of the abdomen.
2. How much more accurate was AI compared to the current method in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans?
AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans.
3. What are the potential benefits mentioned for patients if AI is used for diagnosis and treatment?
The potential benefits for patients include improved treatment outcomes, faster diagnosis, more effective personalized treatment, and possibly sparing low-risk patients from unnecessary treatments and follow-up scans.
4. In diagnosing which other type of cancer has AI technology already shown promise?
AI technology has already shown promise in diagnosing breast cancers.
5. What technique did the researchers use to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in patient scans?
The researchers used a technique called radiomics to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in patient scans.
6. How did the AI algorithm’s accuracy in grading tumor aggressiveness compare to that of traditional biopsies?
The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors more accurately than traditional biopsies, which involve analyzing a small part of the cancerous tissue under a microscope.
7. What did Tina McLaughlan say about the potential benefits of AI for her condition?
Tina McLaughlan expressed that AI could provide quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment, potentially allowing high-risk patients to receive specific treatment tailored to the biology of their cancer.
8. What are the researchers’ hopes for the global use of AI technology in cancer care?
The researchers hope that this AI technology can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma and signify a significant step forward in cancer care.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) study
(2) diagnosis
(3) treatment
(4) advancement
(5) details
(6) visible
(7) large
(8) identify
(9) connective
(10) scans
(11) McLaughlan
(12) providing
(13) effective
(14) receive
(15) treatments
(16) significant
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. artificial
Answer: (h) Not natural or real
2. diagnosis
Answer: (a) Identifying a disease or illness
3. rare
Answer: (c) Uncommon or unusual
4. aggressive
Answer: (b) Intensely competitive or combative
5. radiomics
Answer: (d) The study of medical imaging data
6. sarcoma
Answer: (f) A type of cancer
7. personalized
Answer: (e) Tailored to an individual’s needs
8. significant
Answer: (g) Important or meaningful
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What did the recent study suggest about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer diagnosis and treatment?
Answer: (a) AI may be a game-changer
2. What did the researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research find about the accuracy of AI in grading the aggressiveness of the cancer from scans?
Answer: (b) AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method
3. What is the potential benefit of AI in cancer diagnosis and treatment, according to the article?
Answer: (a) Improving treatment outcomes and enabling faster diagnosis
4. What technique did the researchers use to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in scans of 170 patients?
Answer: (c) Radiomics
5. How did the AI algorithm compare to traditional biopsies in grading the aggressiveness of tumors?
Answer: (d) The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors more accurately
6. What potential benefit did Tina McLaughlan express about the use of AI in cancer diagnosis and treatment?
Answer: (c) Quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment
7. What is the hope of the researchers regarding the use of AI technology in improving the lives of people with sarcoma?
Answer: (d) That it can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma
8. What is seen as a significant step forward in cancer care, according to the article?
Answer: (b) The potential for personalized treatment plans and faster diagnosis
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of tumors more accurately than traditional biopsies. (Answer: True)
2. Researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research found that AI was nearly twice as accurate as the current method in grading the aggressiveness of a rare form of cancer from scans. (Answer: True)
3. AI has the ability to recognize details that are not visible to the naked eye by analyzing large amounts of data. (Answer: True)
4. The AI technology has shown limitations in diagnosing breast cancers and increasing treatment times. (Answer: False)
5. The researchers used a technique called radiomics to identify signs of retroperitoneal sarcoma in scans of 170 patients. (Answer: False)
6. The potential for impersonal treatment plans and slower diagnosis is seen as a significant setback in cancer care. (Answer: False)
7. One patient, Tina McLaughlan, expressed the potential drawbacks of AI in providing slower diagnosis and less effective treatment for sarcoma. (Answer: False)
8. The researchers are hopeful that AI technology can be used globally to improve the lives of people with sarcoma. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
