Clinical pathology is a medical specialty focused on diagnosing diseases through microscopic examination of tissues and cells. Traditionally performed using a light microscope, this technique has been digitized in recent years. This dissertation explores whether diagnoses based on digital images are reliable for identifying early stages of vocal cord cancer, skin pigment lesions, including melanoma, and various intestinal diseases. Digital images can be analyzed using artificial intelligence (AI). The dissertation describes whether pathologists can make more accurate diagnoses in skin pigment lesions with computer support, bases on AI, particularly in helping identifying cell division figures. Finally, it examines whether AI can predict how effective chemotherapy will be for a specific type of breast cancer, based on microscopic images.
Bart Sturm (1979) is a clinical pathologist at Pathan B.V., Zeeland location. He completed his specialization in 2013 at Radboud university medical center, after which he continued scientific research alongside his clinical work, resulting in a PhD trajectory. Bart is an active member of various committees and working groups within the Dutch Society of Pathology and the hospitals in Zeeland.