NCT06173258

Water Exchange Colonoscopy With Artificial Intelligence-assisted Detection

Evaluation of Artificial Intelligence for Adenoma Detection in Water Exchange Colonoscopy: the WEAID Randomized Controlled Trial (Water Exchange With Artificial Intelligence-assisted Detection)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 560 (actual)
• Sponsor: Evergreen General Hospital, Taiwan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 45 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the detected adenoma per colonoscopy (APC) in participants undergoing screening, surveillance, and positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT). There will be two arms in this study: WE water control and water plus artificial intelligence (AI). The main question it aims to answer is whether the addition of AI into water exchange (WE) colonoscopy increases APC than WE alone. The control method will use water instead of air inserted into the colon. The study method will use a commercially available AI system plus water during the procedure. Researchers will compare APCs to see if the addition of AI increases detection of adenomas during WE colonoscopy.

Detailed description

This will be a multi-site, multi-national, unblinded investigators, prospective Random Control Trial (RCT). Randomization (1:1 to WE alone and WE-AI) will be based on computer generated random numbers placed inside opaque sealed envelopes. The envelope (in pre-arranged order) will be opened to reveal the code when the colonoscopist is ready to insert the endoscope to begin the examination. This will be a comparison of two different methods with two arms (WE, WE-AI) to see which one is better at detecting adenomas. Patient recruitment will be conducted at three hospitals in Italy and Taiwan: Digestive Endoscopy Unit, CTO Hospital, Iglesias, Italy; Digestive Endoscopy and Gastroenterology Unit, Manzoni Hospital, Lecco, Italy; Evergreen General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan. The Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, VAGLAHS, UCLA in the USA will be a non-recruiting participating site. The study period is expected to be 3 years (from November 2023 to October 2026). Patients aged 45-75 y/o at average risk of colorectal cancer who are willing to participate will sign an informed consent before starting the colonoscopy procedure. Separate parallel randomization will be set up at each site, stratified by investigator and type of colonoscopy (primary screening, surveillance, or positive FIT or gFOBT). Mode of sedation will include unsedated, on demand sedation, conscious sedation or full sedation with propofol. Randomization will be carried out by computer-generated sequences using a block design (four participants per block). Control Method: One arm of the study will include sedated/unsedated colonoscopy with water (WE) as the control method. Residual air in the colon will be removed and water will be infused to guide insertion through an airless lumen. Infused water will be removed by suction, along with residual fecal debris, predominantly during insertion. Study method: The other arm entail the addition of a commercially available AI system (CAD-EYE, Fujifilm; Endo-AID, Olympus) to the high-definition colonoscopy system. This arm includes sedated/unsedated colonoscopy with AI detection device plus water (WE).

Conditions

• Colon Adenoma
• Colonoscopy
• Colon Polyp

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Water exchange alone	During the insertion phase of water exchange colonoscopy, the air pump will be turned off, while the colon will be irrigated with warm-to-touch water using a flushing pump. The water exchange approach involves the simultaneous infusion of water to facilitate luminal expansion and suction of unclean water during insertion. Upon reaching the cecum, where most of the water is suctioned to collapse the cecal lumen, the air pump will be opened. Withdrawal from the cecum will begin in the left lateral position. Similar withdrawal techniques with adequate luminal distention and comprehensive examination behind the folds will be emphasized. Any position change away from the original left lateral position in any colon segment during the withdrawal phase will be recorded. Tandem examination of specific colon segments, including the right colon, either in the standard modality or retroflexion, is prohibited.
DEVICE	Water exchange plus Artificial Intelligence (AI)	Similar water exchange technique as the active comparator will be employed during insertion. Similar withdrawal inspection techniques as the active comparator will be used. During withdrawal phase, commercially available AI system (CAD-EYE, Fujifilm, EU and Taiwan; Endo-AID, Olympus, EU and Taiwan) will be activated, providing a bounding box as output any time a lesion that is suspected to be a polyp is recognized by the AI device. False positive activation is defined as the identification by AI systems of an area during the withdrawal phase that is not deemed to be a colorectal lesion after re-examination by the colonoscopist. Real-time flagging of FP activation will be recorded by investigators and study staff.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-12-18
• Primary completion: 2024-12-05
• Completion: 2025-01-05
• First posted: 2023-12-15
• Last updated: 2025-02-14

Locations

2 sites across 2 countries: Italy, Taiwan