A simple photograph of a person’s face could provide doctors with clues about their health and chances of surviving cancer, according to new research from Mass General Brigham.
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence foundation model known as FAHR-Face, short for Foundation Artificial Intelligence for Health Recognition. The model was trained on more than 40 million facial images and can be adapted to assess different health indicators.
From the model, researchers developed two tools. FAHR-FaceAge estimates a person’s biological age, while FAHR-FaceSurvival is designed to predict survival outcomes in people with cancer directly from facial photographs.
The study, published in The Lancet Digital Health, found that the two tools captured different information about a patient’s health. Researchers also found that combining their assessments improved survival modelling in an external group of cancer patients.
Interestingly, the AI systems appeared to pay attention to different areas of the face. FAHR-FaceAge placed greater emphasis on areas including the forehead, temples and folds around the nose and mouth, while FAHR-FaceSurvival focused more on areas below the eyes and around the bridge of the nose.
The researchers say the technology could eventually give doctors another objective measure when assessing a patient’s physical condition before recommending treatments such as surgery, radiation or systemic therapy.
However, a photograph should not be viewed as a replacement for medical tests or a doctor’s judgement. The researchers say their goal is to use facial assessment as an additional tool to support personalised treatment decisions.
The team is continuing research to improve and validate AI-based measures of facial ageing and health across larger and more diverse populations. The findings suggest that something as ordinary as a facial photograph may one day provide doctors with useful health information that is difficult to see with the human eye alone.
Sources: Forbes, Mass General Brigham
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