An innovating equipment, resorting to artificial intelligence, that helps the gastroenterologist identifying more easily the existing polyps in the intestine, during colonoscopy, is being used by the gastroenterology team from Hospital Beatriz Ângelo (HBA). “By detecting more polyps and lesions, we will be able to avoid more cases of cancer in the future”, highlighted the gastroenterologist Alexandre Ferreira during the reportage made by RTP in that hospital and broadcasted on October 4, in the TV show “Portugal em Direto”. “This is an equipment that analyses simultaneously to us the colonoscopy images, in order to detect if there is any such polyp. We, gastroenterologists, do that typically – polyps and lesions are detected in more than half the people over 50 submitted to colonoscopy –, but we are not 100% effective and sometimes fail, because there are very small polyps, that are hard to see”, adds Alexandre Ferreira. Through a camera and resorting to artificial intelligence, the equipment allows to verify the existence of polyps of various sizes and shapes, or malignant pre-lesions with no symptom. Digestive cancer (esophagus, stomach, intestine, liver and pancreas) kills over 10 thousand Portuguese per year – of which almost half have bowel cancer, that could be prevented through screening by colonoscopy. “The more cases we detect earlier on, the lesser the risk of developing cancer in the long run”, states Alexandre Ferreira. Along the interview to RTP channel, Alexandre Ferreira further explained the main risk factors of digestive cancer – such as obesity, alcohol and smoking –, emphasising that the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet and the practice of physical exercise “is the first step towards the prevention” of this type of cancer. “We want to detect the situations, before there are symptoms. Usually, when there are symptoms, the cure is no longer possible”, he stressed, urging people not to neglect consultations and surveillance exams. Alexandre Ferreira, HBA and Hospital da Luz specialist, was distinguished this year with the National Award of Gastroenterology, the major distinction for research in the area, promoted by the Portuguese Society of Gastroenterology. RTP reportage at HBA (“Portugal em Direto”, part 2, between minutes 8:10 and 17:16)
