Latest news with #Bridge2AI-Voice
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Voice features such as tone, clarity could help detect early signs of laryngeal cancer: Researchers
New Delhi: Researchers have found that voice features in recordings -- such as tone, pitch and clarity -- could help detect early warning signs of cancer of the larynx (voice box). Findings published in the journal Frontiers in Digital Health could help in developing artificial intelligence (AI) models for detecting abnormalities, or 'lesions', in vocal folds from the sound of a voice -- lesions may be benign, but could also represent early stages of laryngeal cancer, the researchers said. Current diagnostic procedures, such as endoscopies and biopsies, are invasive, they added. "Here we show that with this dataset (of voice recordings) we could use vocal biomarkers to distinguish voices from patients with vocal fold lesions from those without such lesions," said author Dr Phillip Jenkins, a postdoctoral fellow in clinical informatics at Oregon Health and Science University, US. The team analysed tone, pitch, volume, and clarity of over 12,500 voice recordings of 306 participants, taken from the publicly available 'Bridge2AI-Voice' dataset. "Among the overall sample, significant differences were identified in HNR (harmonic-to-noise ratio) and fundamental frequency between benign lesions and both healthy controls and laryngeal cancer," the authors wrote. A 'harmonic-to-noise' ratio, or 'clarity', measures the amount of noise in a voice signal. While marked differences in voice features were found between men having benign lesions in vocal folds, and those with laryngeal cancer, the researchers could not find distinct acoustic features among women's voices. It is possible that a larger dataset would reveal such differences, they said. Changes in the harmonic-to-noise ratio can be helpful in monitoring how lesions in vocal folds evolve over time and detecting laryngeal cancer at an early stage, at least in men, the researchers said. "Our results suggest that ethically sourced, large, multi-institutional datasets like Bridge2AI-Voice could soon help make our voice a practical biomarker for cancer risk in clinical care," said Dr Jenkins. The team is looking to train the AI model on larger datasets of voice recordings and test it among men and women.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Cancer could be diagnosed from the sound of your VOICE ‘within years'
Anyone with a hoarse voice is already told to visit the GP LISTEN UP Cancer could be diagnosed from the sound of your VOICE 'within years' THE early signs of cancer could be detected by listening to a patient's voice, scientists say. Using AI, subtle changes in the acoustics of a person's voice helped pick up lesions in people diagnosed with voice box cancer. 2 The sound of your voice could indicate whether you have signs of cancer Credit: Getty Researchers believe AI could be trained to hear these changes within a "couple of years'. There are around 2,000 new cases of voice box (laryngeal) cancer in the UK each year. A hoarse voice for more than three weeks can be a key symptom, and should be investigated by a GP. Using AI for diagnosis could spell the end of uncomfortable tests currently used, such as a biopsy or nasendoscopy, in which a thin tube with a video camera is passed through the nose down the back of the throat. Read more on cancer HIGH FIVE The 5 simple tweaks you can make TODAY to slash your risk of 5 killer diseases The American team, part of the 'Bridge2AI-Voice' project, gathered voice recordings of 300 patients, some of whom had voice box cancer. They studied at least six features of voice acoustics: the mean fundamental frequency (pitch); jitter, variation in pitch within speech; shimmer, variation of the amplitude; and the harmonic-to-noise ratio. There were "marked" differences between men with and without cancer or a voice box disorder, such as nodules or polyps, specifically the harmonic-to-noise ratio, according to the findings published in the journal Frontiers in Digital Health. It's possible the same will be found for women with a larger dataset. One of the study's authors, Dr Phillip Jenkins, of Oregon Health & Science University, said: "To move from this study to an AI tool that recognises vocal fold lesions, we would train models using an even larger dataset of voice recordings, labelled by professionals. "We then need to test the system to make sure it works equally well for women and men. BBC Gardeners world fans in tears as star reveals terminal cancer diagnosis during show "Voice-based health tools are already being piloted. "I estimate that with larger datasets and clinical validation, similar tools to detect vocal fold lesions might enter pilot testing in the next couple of years." 2 Voice box cancer, or laryngeal cancer, causes voice hoarseness, pain swallowing, or difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath and weight loss Credit: Getty The symptoms of voice box cancer Cancer Research UK have said there are four key symptoms of laryngeal cancer to look out for: 1. Hoarseness or a change in your voice If you have a hoarse voice for more than 3 weeks, it could be a sign of laryngeal cancer, says Cancer Research UK. It's worth seeing a doctor for a full check up and diagnosis, as inflammation of the larynx can also be caused by a cold, a chest infection and overuse of the voice, like singing. 2. Pain or difficulty swallowing If you're experiencing pain or having difficulty swallowing, it might be an indicator something is wrong. Visit your GP if for three weeks or more, you feel: that there is something small stuck in your throat you are struggling to swallow food some pain or a burning sensation when swallowing food that your food is sticking in your throat 3. Shortness of breath Experiencing shortness of breath is a symptom that should trigger an urgent response. Call 999 if you suddenly experience shortness of breath or are struggling to breathe. Some people may also find they have a cough that doesn't go away, they find it difficult to breath or when they inhale it's become noisy (stridor). 4. Weight loss Sudden or dramatic weight loss is a key sign of cancer, including laryngeal. Usually it will happen alongside other symptoms and the body's way of communicating that there is a problem. It may also happen because you're eating less due to pain or because you're having difficulty swallowing. You should see your doctor if you have lost 4 to 5 kg (10lbs) or more in a short time.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Cancer could be diagnosed from the sound of your VOICE ‘within years'
Anyone with a hoarse voice is already told to visit the GP LISTEN UP Cancer could be diagnosed from the sound of your VOICE 'within years' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE early signs of cancer could be detected by listening to a patient's voice, scientists say. Using AI, subtle changes in the acoustics of a person's voice helped pick up lesions in people diagnosed with voice box cancer. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The sound of your voice could indicate whether you have signs of cancer Credit: Getty Researchers believe AI could be trained to hear these changes within a "couple of years'. There are around 2,000 new cases of voice box (laryngeal) cancer in the UK each year. A hoarse voice for more than three weeks can be a key symptom, and should be investigated by a GP. Using AI for diagnosis could spell the end of uncomfortable tests currently used, such as a biopsy or nasendoscopy, in which a thin tube with a video camera is passed through the nose down the back of the throat. The American team, part of the 'Bridge2AI-Voice' project, gathered voice recordings of 300 patients, some of whom had voice box cancer. They studied at least six features of voice acoustics: the mean fundamental frequency (pitch); jitter, variation in pitch within speech; shimmer, variation of the amplitude; and the harmonic-to-noise ratio. There were "marked" differences between men with and without cancer or a voice box disorder, such as nodules or polyps, specifically the harmonic-to-noise ratio, according to the findings published in the journal Frontiers in Digital Health. It's possible the same will be found for women with a larger dataset. One of the study's authors, Dr Phillip Jenkins, of Oregon Health & Science University, said: "To move from this study to an AI tool that recognises vocal fold lesions, we would train models using an even larger dataset of voice recordings, labelled by professionals. "We then need to test the system to make sure it works equally well for women and men. BBC Gardeners world fans in tears as star reveals terminal cancer diagnosis during show "Voice-based health tools are already being piloted. "I estimate that with larger datasets and clinical validation, similar tools to detect vocal fold lesions might enter pilot testing in the next couple of years." 2 Voice box cancer, or laryngeal cancer, causes voice hoarseness, pain swallowing, or difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath and weight loss Credit: Getty The symptoms of voice box cancer Cancer Research UK have said there are four key symptoms of laryngeal cancer to look out for: 1. Hoarseness or a change in your voice If you have a hoarse voice for more than 3 weeks, it could be a sign of laryngeal cancer, says Cancer Research UK. It's worth seeing a doctor for a full check up and diagnosis, as inflammation of the larynx can also be caused by a cold, a chest infection and overuse of the voice, like singing. 2. Pain or difficulty swallowing If you're experiencing pain or having difficulty swallowing, it might be an indicator something is wrong. Visit your GP if for three weeks or more, you feel: that there is something small stuck in your throat you are struggling to swallow food some pain or a burning sensation when swallowing food that your food is sticking in your throat 3. Shortness of breath Experiencing shortness of breath is a symptom that should trigger an urgent response. Call 999 if you suddenly experience shortness of breath or are struggling to breathe. Some people may also find they have a cough that doesn't go away, they find it difficult to breath or when they inhale it's become noisy (stridor). 4. Weight loss Sudden or dramatic weight loss is a key sign of cancer, including laryngeal. Usually it will happen alongside other symptoms and the body's way of communicating that there is a problem. It may also happen because you're eating less due to pain or because you're having difficulty swallowing. You should see your doctor if you have lost 4 to 5 kg (10lbs) or more in a short time.
