Mass General Brigham develops AI tools to estimate cancer survival from facial photos

Researchers at Mass General Brigham developed two AI tools that use a facial photograph to estimate biological age and predict cancer survival, according to a study in The Lancet Digital Health. The Guardian and Becker's Hospital Review reported that the model was trained on more than 40 million facial photographs. The BBC reported that it used 35,000 photos of cancer patients.

FAHR-FaceAge estimates biological age, while FAHR-FaceSurvival predicts survival directly. Among US patients treated with radiotherapy, those who looked five or more years older than their actual age had a 21% higher risk of dying during the average four-year follow-up than the rest of the group. Those who looked five or more years younger had a 17% lower risk, The Guardian reported.

The tools examine different parts of the face, with the survival tool focusing on the area below the eyes and around the nasal bridge. Researchers say more study is needed before the technology can be widely used. The BBC reported that the tools remain under development and need more data, particularly from different ethnic groups.