Contouring involves a radiation oncologist manually outlining tumours and nearby organs on CT scans. According to RNSH radiation oncology fellow Dr Joseph Chan, this process can take 30 minutes to several hours, depending on complexity. While in recent years, commercial AI software has been introduced to assist with contouring of normal body tissue and organs, Joseph says there is no evidence that it performs as well as humans. To address this, Joseph is leading a trial involving the scans of 444 breast cancer patients across RNSH, Dubbo, and Orange hospitals. The team will compare three contouring methods: commercial software, in-house AI developed at RNSH, and those done by hand. The RNSH team built their own contouring model due to limitations with commercial systems Joseph said the in-house model, trained on Peer work in action Natalie Watson has spent 14 years as a peer worker, a role in which she blends her lived experience of mental health issues and her professional expertise to support others navigating mental health challenges. While she has degrees in psychology and public health, Natalie works from a peer perspective—an approach now recognised as vital in the mental health system. “Peer work is not just about having a story. It’s a discipline, a skill set and a craft,” she said. On October 16, International Peer Worker Day acknowledges the vital contributions of peer workers like Natalie. Natalie’s work spans two units at Macquarie Hospital, where she offers individual support, advocates for systemic change, and helps shape policy through lived experience feedback. This year, alongside her colleagues, she co-launched Nature Connections, a group offering walks and nature based activities to participants. She joined Team Fran, a group of six staff who support Fran the hospital therapy dog in her work with consumers. Natalie is also finalising an academic paper on peer workers’ roles in committees and
continues to advocate for their career pathways within the NSLHD. She said her skills lie in her humanity, and the ability to walk alongside people in need. “I sit next to them, give them space and validate them.” She also said as everybody has different experiences with mental illness, they also have different needs. “For some people, they don’t necessarily want to talk – it’s just having someone sitting next to them.”
Natalie and the noble hound, Fran
Trial assesses AI’s role in cancer treatment Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) has launched a clinical trial to test whether artificial intelligence (AI) can match human expertise in radiotherapy contouring—a critical step in cancer treatment.
RNSH patient data and aligned with national guidelines, improves with every batch of 30–50 scans. However, current regulations mean the in-house software can only be used for a clinical trial. Joseph hopes to eventually release the RNSH model to other researchers for free. Ultimately, he sees that AI contouring of normal tissues is a good tool. “We don’t think it should be used to replace the radiation oncologist doing this task. Instead, it will give us more time to contour areas of complexity and uncertainty - such as the tumour bed after surgery.”
The radiation oncology team
NSLHD NEWS | ISSUE 19| 17 OCTOBER 2025
10
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online