AI predicts cancer patient survival rates from a single face photo
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A research team at Mass General Brigham in the US has developed two AI tools, FAHR-FaceAge and FAHR-FaceSurvival, which can estimate biological age and predict the survival of cancer patients from just a single face photo. The research has been published in Lancet Digital Health. The research team says a single facial photo could become a simple, low-cost way to assist personalized treatment decisions; but doctors also caution that more research is still needed before the tools can be widely used.
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- Hacker News AIAI tool can predict cancer survival by a single patient selfie
Researchers at Mass General Brigham developed an AI system, trained on more than 40 million facial photographs, that estimates biological age and predicts survival outcomes for cancer patients from a single selfie, with details published in Lancet Digital Health. The two tools, FAHR-FaceAge and FAHR-FaceSurvival, rely on different facial regions, and among radiotherapy patients in the US those who looked five or more years older than their actual age had a 21% higher risk of dying during the average four-year follow-up, while those who looked five or more years younger had a 17% lower risk. Doctors cautioned that more research is needed before the tool could be widely used.
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