CaDet, a computer-based clinical decision support system for early cancer detection

Cancer risk evaluation and early detection are subject to serious limitatio ns mainly related to human factors and to characteristics of the data invol ved. To help overcome these problems, a computer-based system was designed to provide the physician with a clearer clinical picture and aid in directi ng patients to appropriate measures. Clinical and epidemiological data rela ted to early cancer detection and to cancer risk factors was collected from the literature and incorporated in a database, together with heuristic rul es for evaluating this data. Individual data obtained from patients through a questionnaire are input into CaDet, a computerized clinical decision sup port system. A report summarizing patient data and cancer hypotheses, with a scoring system that reflects degrees of alarm, is generated. The CaDet sy stem, as well as some preliminary results of the clinical experience accumu lated in its use, are described. These preliminary results suggest that the approach may be useful in improving cancer risk assessment and screening i n primary care setups.