Machine learning in cancer-associated thrombosis: hype or hope in untangling the clot

Abstract

The goal of machine learning (ML) is to create informative signals and useful tasks by leveraging large datasets to derive computational algorithms. ML has the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry by boosting productivity, enhancing safe and effective patient care, and lightening the load on clinicians. In addition to gaining mechanistic insights into cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), ML can be used to improve patient outcomes, streamline healthcare delivery, and spur innovation. Our review paper delves into the present and potential applications of this cutting-edge technology, encompassing three areas: i) computer vision-assisted diagnosis of thromboembolism from radiology data; ii) case detection from electronic health records using natural language processing; iii) algorithms for CAT prediction and risk stratification. The availability of large, well-annotated, high-quality datasets, overfitting, limited generalizability, the risk of propagating inherent bias, and a lack of transparency among patients and clinicians are among the challenges that must be overcome in order to effectively develop ML in the health sector. To guarantee that this powerful instrument can be utilized to maximize innovation in CAT, clinicians can collaborate with stakeholders such as computer scientists, regulatory bodies, and patient groups.