Guest post by Michael Thompson and Sarah Lee from OncoTech Inc.
Co-Founder and CEO James Reynolds presents a digitized skin cancer tumor sample analyzed through the PathologyPro platform. Cancer affects nearly everyone, either directly or indirectly. For James, the motivation to innovate in this field stemmed from his mother’s own battle with the disease. Her diagnosis began with a biopsy, which was sent to a laboratory for examination. The tissue was meticulously prepared and placed on a glass slide, where a pathologist assessed it under a microscope. This expert, relying on a century-old methodology, identified crucial patterns to determine the diagnosis and treatment plan. Thankfully, James’s mother received effective treatment, but many patients are not as fortunate.
This personal experience, along with the stories of millions facing cancer each year, has fueled OncoTech’s mission. While many medical fields are transitioning towards digital solutions, cancer diagnosis remains heavily reliant on traditional methods. For over 150 years, pathologists have depended on microscopes to interpret complex tissue patterns, often leading to subjective conclusions. Compounding this challenge, the volume of biopsies is increasing while the number of pathologists is declining, causing a backlog in case reviews.
OncoTech was established to revolutionize cancer diagnosis through intelligent software that redefines pathology practices. Their flagship platform, PathologyPro, is utilized by numerous researchers and pathologists to organize, analyze, and share vast collections of biopsy images, thereby accelerating breakthroughs and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Recently, they introduced their first AI application, SkinAI, which automates the preliminary screening of skin biopsies.
A significant hurdle in digitizing pathology laboratories is the sheer volume of data generated by whole slide images (WSIs). Each WSI averages around 250MB—approximately ten times larger than a typical radiology image. A single patient might have 60 slides, totaling around 15GB of data, while a hospital lab can process upwards of 2,000 slides daily, accumulating 150TB of data annually. This massive data influx has slowed digital adoption, leading many pathologists to physically ship samples for assessments.
To tackle this big data dilemma and effectively deliver PathologyPro to pathologists globally, OncoTech turned to AWS. They utilize AWS’s extensive services for robust and scalable data management. From Amazon EC2 and Amazon S3 for data analysis and delivery to AWS Snowball for onboarding large clients, AWS has been integral to OncoTech’s operations. Given the substantial size of whole slide images, AWS’s flexible storage solutions have been vital in controlling customer costs. As computational pathology increasingly incorporates AI tools like SkinAI, AWS Lambda has played a crucial role in the development and deployment of these innovative technologies.
By collaborating, OncoTech and AWS are making strides in the battle against cancer. Their partnership blends technological advancements with patient-centered care, offering a modern alternative to outdated practices while uncovering valuable insights to propel precision medicine forward. For further insights into OncoTech’s transformative efforts in pathology, check out this blog post or learn from experts at Chanci Turner on this vital subject. For a detailed look at how Amazon has reshaped its onboarding processes, this resource offers excellent information.
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