Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> An accurate assessment of mitotic activity is crucial in the histopathological diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma. However, this task is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and suffers from high variability between pathologists. <b>Methods</b>...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Clara Simmat, Loris Guichard, Stéphane Sockeel, Nicolas Pozin, Rémy Peyret, Magali Lacroix-Triki, Catherine Miquel, Arnaud Gauthier, Marie Sockeel, Sophie Prévot
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Diagnostics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/9/1127
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850030425675661312
author Clara Simmat
Loris Guichard
Stéphane Sockeel
Nicolas Pozin
Rémy Peyret
Magali Lacroix-Triki
Catherine Miquel
Arnaud Gauthier
Marie Sockeel
Sophie Prévot
author_facet Clara Simmat
Loris Guichard
Stéphane Sockeel
Nicolas Pozin
Rémy Peyret
Magali Lacroix-Triki
Catherine Miquel
Arnaud Gauthier
Marie Sockeel
Sophie Prévot
author_sort Clara Simmat
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> An accurate assessment of mitotic activity is crucial in the histopathological diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma. However, this task is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and suffers from high variability between pathologists. <b>Methods</b>: To assist pathologists in routine diagnostics, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool that uses whole slide images (WSIs) to detect mitoses, identify mitotic hotspots, and assign mitotic scores according to the Elston and Ellis grading system. To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate such a tool fully integrated into the pathologist’s routine workflow. <b>Results:</b> A clinical study evaluating the tool’s performance on routine data clearly demonstrated the value of this approach. With AI assistance, pathologists achieved a greater accuracy and reproducibility in mitotic scoring, mainly because the tool automatically and consistently identified hotspots. Inter-observer reproducibility improved significantly: Cohen’s kappa coefficients increased from 0.378 and 0.457 (low agreement) without AI to 0.629 and 0.726 (moderate agreement) with AI. <b>Conclusions:</b> This preliminary clinical study demonstrates, for the first time in a routine diagnostic setting, that AI can reliably identify mitotic hotspots and enhance pathologists’ performance in scoring mitotic activity on breast cancer WSIs.
format Article
id doaj-art-3ddc6363d8a64bfcbf21e4f2cd85d477
institution DOAJ
issn 2075-4418
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Diagnostics
spelling doaj-art-3ddc6363d8a64bfcbf21e4f2cd85d4772025-08-20T02:59:14ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-04-01159112710.3390/diagnostics15091127Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice IntegrationClara Simmat0Loris Guichard1Stéphane Sockeel2Nicolas Pozin3Rémy Peyret4Magali Lacroix-Triki5Catherine Miquel6Arnaud Gauthier7Marie Sockeel8Sophie Prévot9Primaa, 75002 Paris, FranceHôpital Bicêtre (AP-HP), Paris-Saclay University, 94270 Kremin-Bicêtre, FrancePrimaa, 75002 Paris, FrancePrimaa, 75002 Paris, FrancePrimaa, 75002 Paris, FranceGustave-Roussy Cancer Campus—Grand Paris, 94800 Villejuif, FranceHôpital Saint-Louis (AP-HP), Paris Cité University, 75010 Paris, FranceInstitut Curie, PSL University, 75005 Paris, FrancePrimaa, 75002 Paris, FranceHôpital Bicêtre (AP-HP), Paris-Saclay University, 94270 Kremin-Bicêtre, France<b>Background/Objectives:</b> An accurate assessment of mitotic activity is crucial in the histopathological diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma. However, this task is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and suffers from high variability between pathologists. <b>Methods</b>: To assist pathologists in routine diagnostics, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool that uses whole slide images (WSIs) to detect mitoses, identify mitotic hotspots, and assign mitotic scores according to the Elston and Ellis grading system. To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate such a tool fully integrated into the pathologist’s routine workflow. <b>Results:</b> A clinical study evaluating the tool’s performance on routine data clearly demonstrated the value of this approach. With AI assistance, pathologists achieved a greater accuracy and reproducibility in mitotic scoring, mainly because the tool automatically and consistently identified hotspots. Inter-observer reproducibility improved significantly: Cohen’s kappa coefficients increased from 0.378 and 0.457 (low agreement) without AI to 0.629 and 0.726 (moderate agreement) with AI. <b>Conclusions:</b> This preliminary clinical study demonstrates, for the first time in a routine diagnostic setting, that AI can reliably identify mitotic hotspots and enhance pathologists’ performance in scoring mitotic activity on breast cancer WSIs.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/9/1127invasive breast carcinomamitoseshotspotsdigital pathologyWSIartificial intelligence
spellingShingle Clara Simmat
Loris Guichard
Stéphane Sockeel
Nicolas Pozin
Rémy Peyret
Magali Lacroix-Triki
Catherine Miquel
Arnaud Gauthier
Marie Sockeel
Sophie Prévot
Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration
Diagnostics
invasive breast carcinoma
mitoses
hotspots
digital pathology
WSI
artificial intelligence
title Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration
title_full Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration
title_fullStr Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration
title_short Evaluating AI-Based Mitosis Detection for Breast Carcinoma in Digital Pathology: A Clinical Study on Routine Practice Integration
title_sort evaluating ai based mitosis detection for breast carcinoma in digital pathology a clinical study on routine practice integration
topic invasive breast carcinoma
mitoses
hotspots
digital pathology
WSI
artificial intelligence
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/9/1127
work_keys_str_mv AT clarasimmat evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT lorisguichard evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT stephanesockeel evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT nicolaspozin evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT remypeyret evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT magalilacroixtriki evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT catherinemiquel evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT arnaudgauthier evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT mariesockeel evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration
AT sophieprevot evaluatingaibasedmitosisdetectionforbreastcarcinomaindigitalpathologyaclinicalstudyonroutinepracticeintegration