UNAIR NEWS – Three UNAIR students won gold medal in the Indonesia International IoT Olympiad (I3O) on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The talented students are Nabilah Sabilillah, a first-year Midwifery student, Dwita Rahmadini Hendri and Khairun Nisa from the Biomedical Engineering major. They developed AI-based tools for cervix cancer screening.

Cervical cancer detection screening tool innovation

The team leader Sabil described AlteVIA, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) detection of Acetowhite lesions (indicative images of cervical cancer symptoms). “We combined hardware in the form of a comfortable probe (mini camera tube) as an alternative to the speculum, a metal instrument commonly used to open the vaginal canal and visualize the cervix,” she said.

The idea of AlteVIA was sparked by the rising prevalence of deaths due to cervical cancer in Indonesia. One of the causes is the infrequent adherence to repeated examinations among women due to the uncomfortable experience during the examination procedure involving using a speculum.

Besides, the cervical cancer screening procedure includes an IVA test, a procedure of inspecting the cervix after applying acetic acid. They believed that the IVA test, which is frequently used, is highly subjective and solely depends on the uneven competence among healthcare providers. They believed that it was a crucial issue, as the earlier the detection of lesions, the higher the chances of successful treatment and recovery.

“The journey from the pre-cancerous stage to the cancerous stage takes several years. If the cancer is detected early and promptly treated, the cervical tissue of the patient has a high chance of fully recovering,” Sabil explained.

The competition

Sabil stated that the competition brought together innovators from all around the world. The competition is organized by the Indonesian Young Scientists Association (IYSA) and Universitas Syiah Kuala Banda Aceh, Indonesia. UNAIR students competed against 13 countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Iran, Philippines, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, and Azerbaijan. Seventy-five teams participated in the online competition, while another 25 teams attended the competition at Universitas Syiah Kuala. International and local institutions and research partner organizations even provided special awards for outstanding discoveries and breakthroughs.

Lesson learned

Upon doing the competition, Sabil admitted that they are not overly focused on prestige. Instead, they focused on the problems. She believed in balancing theories with practice. “Be sensitive to the problems around you. Make practice and find the solutions. If you encounter difficulties, don’t hesitate to collaborate with colleagues from different backgrounds. These three things are enough to generate innovative ideas,” said the young midwife.

Through AlteVIA, they hoped to improve the quality of screening and increase women’s willingness to undergo cervical examinations more frequently.

Author: Viradyah Lulut Santosa

Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia

Source : unair.ac.id/en/unair-students-develop-cervical-cancer-detection-screening-tool