NTUH Trial: AI-Assisted Colonoscopies Catch More Precancerous Lesions

National Taiwan University Hospital announced results from a randomized clinical trial of AI-assisted colonoscopy, run from 2022 to 2024 with three partner hospitals, per Focus Taiwan. Among 1,356 high-risk participants, the AI-assisted group showed a 58.5 percent adenoma detection rate against 53.3 percent for standard colonoscopy. In the 864 patients who had tested positive on fecal immunochemical tests, the gap widened to 65.3 versus 57.4 percent, roughly eight additional patients with detected adenomas per 100 examinees. The study appeared in JAMA Network Open.

NTUH director Chiu Han-mo framed the detected adenomas as precancerous lesions, the point where intervention prevents colorectal cancer rather than treats it. The system works as a second pair of eyes, marking suspicious lesions on screen and alerting the physician in real time. Junior doctors described it as a teacher standing behind them during procedures.

Watch whether Taiwan's National Health Insurance moves to reimburse AI-assisted screening. A single-payer system with universal FIT screening data is an unusually clean deployment path, and colorectal cancer is among Taiwan's most common cancers.