Detecting colorectal polyps in colonoscopy: What can deep learning do?

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the world when men and women are combined, with nearly 1 million patients who die every year [H.Sung 2021]. CRC is characterized by the unchecked division of abnormal cells in the colon or rectum. Most of the time it begins as a polyp, which is a noncancerous growth that develops in the mucosal layer of the colon or rectum. Once a polyp progresses to cancer, it can grow into the wall of the colon or rectum where it may invade blood or lymph vessels that carry away cellular waste and fluid (Figure 1.1). Cancer cells are then spread to other organs and tissues, forming tumors