Artificial Intelligence in Gynecologic Cytology

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with highest incidence and mortality identified in less developed and medically underserved areas in the world. The diminishing cytology workforce, unavailability of expert consultation, and the high volume of Pap tests needing manual screening are the main reasons for exploring innovative solutions to help mitigate the negative effects resulting from the dearth of timely cervical cancer screening in certain population groups.

Developments in whole slide imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled the emergence of new computer-assisted systems that have the potential for transforming traditional cytopathology practice. However, AI-based systems are relatively new with limited published data on their validation and clinical utility in clinical practice. Our article aims to increase awareness of the availability of such systems, explores the history and development of AI-assisted screening platforms for Pap tests, compares the performance characteristics of various systems, elaborates on technical challenges associated with conducting clinical trials employing this technology, and discusses considerations around deploying such systems in routine cytopathology practice.

Revolutionary AI-based systems are being developed and utilized in cytopathology practice to screen Pap tests. Some of these systems have good performance characteristics and provide opportunities to combat various issues such as workload and standardization faced by cytology laboratories globally. However, judicious review of these systems using evidence-based studies is imperative to promote widespread adoption and maintain high-quality standards for patient safety.