Developed in 2023, iNav was named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024. Published research shows potential to cut diagnostic time and transform pancreatic cancer care

Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to identify, with more than 80 percent of patients diagnosed at an advanced stage, severely limiting treatment options. However, iNav, Northwell Health’s in-house artificial intelligence (AI) clinical tool, has shown the ability to cut the time from biopsy to diagnosis in half and accelerate treatment timelines for patients, according to a study published in The Oncologist.

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Northwell’s Dr. Dan King co-developed the iNav tool.

iNav, a machine learning-based natural language processing (NLP) model analyzes more than 10,000 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scan reports weekly across Northwell’s 28-hospital, expansive network. The system is designed to spot the markers of pancreatic cancer earlier, enabling doctors and care coordinators to quickly flag high-risk individuals, leading to earlier assessment and care connections.

The study, led by Daniel King, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Cancer Research at Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and gastrointestinal medical oncologist, assessed iNav’s efficacy by comparing two groups of patients – those whose scans were analyzed by iNav and those analyzed through traditional diagnostics. The research, involving a total of 71 patients, revealed a promising trend of accelerating critical timelines for the iNav-assisted group. Specifically, the time from an imaging scan showing a potential issue to a biopsy was cut in half, decreasing from 12 days to just six. Similarly, the wait for an appointment with an oncologist dropped from 27 days to 17, and the time until treatment began shortened from 56 days to 35.

“This preliminary research suggests iNav holds tremendous potential as a clinical tool that can, in real-time, identify pancreatic cancer much earlier than traditional methods, offering patients a greater likelihood of successful outcomes and facilitating more equitable, precision medicine,” said Dr. King. “Importantly, iNav fits within Northwell’s multidisciplinary approach to treating pancreatic cancer. From surgeons to medical oncologists, gastroenterologists and social workers – it is important to provide a holistic and expedited path to coordinated clinical care.”

Results from the study show that iNav’s benefits, especially in improved consistency and equity, were observed across racial and ethnic minority groups, underscoring its potential to mitigate health disparities. Additionally, the iNav-assisted approach led to increased participation in research studies.

“What we see with iNav is more than a diagnostic tool; it’s the integration of AI into clinical infrastructure that shows research-backed promise to improve a patient’s journey,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “This represents the future of cancer care, dedicated to saving lives and closing health and equity gaps.”

iNav, invented by Dr. King, Sandeep Nadella, MD, and Tiffany Zavadsky, CRNP, iNav has gained significant recognition. The tool won Northwell’s internal 2023 “Shark Tank”-like employee Innovation Challenge, securing $500,000 in seed investment. In 2024, Dr. King was awarded the ASCO Foundation Conquer Cancer Career Development Award that supported this research. Also in 2024, iNav was named to TIME’s Best Inventions list, which recognizes 200 groundbreaking inventions that are changing “how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible.”

About the Feinstein Institutes
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.

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