Development of a Novel Real-Time Computer-Assisted Colonoscopy Diagnostic Tool for Colorectal Neoplasia and Cancer to Enable Personalized Patient Management: Protocol for a Multicenter Proof-of-Concept Study

Background

Accurate real-time classification of colorectal polyps during colonoscopy is essential for risk stratification, therapeutic decision-making, and surveillance planning, with important implications for colorectal cancer prevention, health care costs, and patient burden. Despite advances in optical diagnosis techniques, including virtual chromoendoscopy and magnification, widespread adoption remains limited because of high operator dependency and variable diagnostic accuracy. Existing computer-assisted diagnosis (CADx) systems predominantly provide binary classification of colorectal lesions, thereby constraining their clinical utility for nuanced endoscopic decision-making.

Objective