Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40163741›Full record

SynthesisOral diseases2025

Diagnosis of Oral Cancer With Deep Learning. A Comparative Test Accuracy Systematic Review.

Michele Nieri, Lapo Serni, Tommaso Clauser, Costanza Paoletti, Lorenzo Franchi

Abstract readComparative StudyMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Oral diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. [Current applications and future perspectives of automation technologies and devices in oral diagnosis and treatment].Hua xi kou qiang yi xue za zhi = Huaxi kouqiang yixue zazhi = West China journal of stomatology · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Michele NieriDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8770-4622
Lapo SerniDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-4786
Tommaso ClauserPrivate Practice, Florence, Italy.
Costanza PaolettiPrivate Practice, Florence, Italy.
Lorenzo FranchiDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Italy.

Funding

This research was funded by the European Union - Next Generation EU, PNRR MUR M4 C2 Inv. 1.5 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), project ECS00000017 Tuscany-Health Ecosystem - Spoke 6 - CUP B63C2200068007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo directly compare the diagnostic accuracy of deep learning models with human experts and other diagnostic methods used for the clinical detection of oral cancer.

methodsComparative diagnostic studies involving patients with photographic images of oral mucosal lesions (cancer or non-cancer) were included. Only studies using deep learning methods were eligible. Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched until September 2024. QUADAS-C assessed the risk of bias. A Bayesian meta-analysis compared diagnostic test accuracy.

resultsEight studies were included, none of which had a low risk of bias. Three studies compared deep learning versus human experts. The difference in sensitivity favored deep learning by 0.024 (95% CI: -0.093, 0.206), while the difference in specificity favored human experts by -0.041 (95% CI: -0.218, 0.038). Two studies compared deep learning versus postgraduate medical students. The differences in sensitivity and specificity favored deep learning by 0.108 (95% CI: -0.038, 0.324) and by 0.010 (95% CI: -0.119, 0.111), respectively. Both comparisons provided low-level evidence.

conclusionsDeep learning models showed comparable sensitivity and specificity to human experts. These models outperformed postgraduate medical students in terms of sensitivity. Prospective clinical trials are needed to evaluate the real-world performance of deep learning models.

Indexed as

Deep LearningMouth NeoplasmsBayes TheoremHumansSensitivity and Specificityartificial intelligencedeep learningoral canceroral medicineoral pathology

Identifiers

PMID40163741
PMCPMC12423475

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.