What is CAD?

CAD systems are computerised algorithms designed to identify suspicious regions of interest on medical images. CAD aims to aid the radiologist in the detection of potential abnormalities by highlighting them for further investigation.

The large number of images produced by multislice CT scanners means that for radiologists, manual reading of large volumes of patient scan data is both time consuming and exhausting. The difficulty in identifying suspicious regions and distinguishing them from surrounding tissue means that a significant number may go undetected. Added to this, the differing levels of reader experience and training lead to significant reader variability with manual unassisted reading.

With the increasing demand for radiology services showing little sign of abating, radiologists are looking for technology such as computer-aided detection (CAD) to help relieve the burden.