Radiation therapy can be lifesaving for lung cancer patients. The first step, though, is having a trained, skilled oncologist who knows how to best segment or mark off the tumor for radiation. This expertise is vital for targeting the tumor and controlling the radiation’s toxicity. Segmenting is difficult and time-consuming even in countries with sufficient medical resources, much less in developing countries where the need is great but fewer personnel have the time and training.
Harvard researchers wondered: Could programmers develop artificial intelligence solutions for segmenting tumors like a trained oncologist? How about setting up an online competition to find out?
