More than a bird brain
New research suggests pigeons could be given a role in the development of new cancer diagnostic procedures
Pigeons are as good as humans at spotting signs of breast cancer in biopsy samples and mammogram scans, according to remarkable new research.
Even doctors with years of education and training sometimes struggle to interpret microscopic slides and mammograms, experts said, seriously suggesting the birds could be given a role in the development of new diagnostic procedures.
In a new experiment, the birds which can distinguish between human faces and expressions, letters of the alphabet, and even paintings by different artists were taught how to recognise microscope slides and mammogram scan images showing evidence of benign or malignant tissue.
A total of eight pigeons took part in the experiment, with findings published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Using food rewards, birds were trained to peck a blue or yellow report button depending on whether they were being shown a benign or malignant image.
Pigeons accuracy from day one of training at low magnification increased from 50 per cent correct to nearly 85 per cent correct at days 13 to 15, said lead researcher Professor Richard Levenson, from the University of California
They were also as good as human radiologists at detecting microscopic calcification spots on mammograms that can be an early sign of cancer.
This is a difficult, time-consuming, and expensive process that requires the recruitment of clinicians as subjects for these relatively mundane tasks, said Prof Levenson.
Pigeons sensitivity to diagnostically salient features in medical images suggests that they can provide reliable feedback on many variables at play in the production, manipulation, and viewing of these diagnostically crucial tools.
Source: The Independent
