Konyang University Hospital said Tuesday it has additionally adopted IBM’s artificial intelligence-powered program “Watson for Genomics” to provide customized genomic analysis.

The announcement came as a surprise because IBM’s Watson for Oncology is quickly losing popularity in local hospitals. Konyang hospital’s adoption of the new AI program came after two years since it first adopted Watson for Oncology in April 2017.

Konyang University Hospital Director Choi Won-jun (fourth from right, front row) and IBM Vice President Armando Arismendi (to Choi’s right) celebrate the hospital’s adoption of IBM’s Watson for Genomics at the hospital in Daejeon, Monday. (Credit: Konyang University Hospital)

The hospital has been providing customized cancer treatment service using next-generation sequencing equipment since February.

The new Watson for Genomics program will quickly analyze data from NGS testing and offer tailored medical care, the hospital said. Watson for Genomics analyzes a patient’s genetic details, drug information, and the latest academic literature to help a doctor search for the most suitable treatment for the patient.

The hospital cited a retrospective study published in the medical journal, The Oncologist, saying Watson for Genomics on 1,018 patients agreed with physicians’ diagnosis 99 percent of the time. In more than 300 cases, Watson found therapeutic methods that physicians had not identified.

“Precision medicine is an innovative technology in cancer treatment. It provides a comprehensive analysis of genes, clinical data, and drug information to provide personalized care. This is a new paradigm of the medical industry,” said Choi Won-jun, director of Konyang University Hospital.

Choi went on to say, “As we have fully prepared the system for precision medicine with Watson for Oncology, Watson for Genomics, and NGS, we will find the best treatments and provide world-class cancer diagnosis and treatments.”

Copyright © KBR Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution prohibited