A 16-year-old high school student from Izmir, Melek Öztürk, is shaking the medical world with the ONCOMathRIX project she developed after losing her mother to cancer. This AI-based system, which provides significant support to pathologists in diagnosing kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma), achieved a 97% success rate using open-source data. The project, currently in the patent stage, has become a beacon of hope for early diagnosis and personalised treatment. Here are all the details of Melek Öztürk's ONCOMathRIX project...
Who is Melek Öztürk? The Young Scientist Who Turned Grief into Science
Melek Öztürk (16), a 10th-grade student at Sıdıka Rodop Anatolian High School, lost her mother, Zehra Öztürk, approximately 5 months ago, first to pancreatic cancer and then to a rare form of adrenal gland cancer. Having witnessed firsthand the months-long process of pathological examinations during her mother's treatment, the young student transformed her grief into science. Driven by her passion for mathematics and biology, Melek founded a science club called Mathrix at her school and began working with her classmate Elif Kortak.
This motivational story once again highlights the scientific achievements of young people in Türkiye. With ONCOMathRIX, Melek Öztürk aimed to address not only her own loss but also the difficulties experienced by thousands of cancer patients.
What is ONCOMathRIX? How is Cancer Diagnosis Made with Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics?
ONCOMathRIX is an AI-powered decision support system that analyses histopathological (tissue) images using mathematical methods. The system follows these steps:
- Reduces noise in images and converts them into heat maps.
- Models cellular changes using topological and differential analysis.
- Detects and stages kidney cancer cells within seconds (3 seconds according to some sources).
- Provides personalised treatment recommendations.
Tested on an open-source dataset of 537-600 kidney cancer cases, the project reduces the months-long traditional pathology process to minutes. This is revolutionary, especially for rare and difficult-to-diagnose kidney cancers.
97% Success Rate and Technical Details: What are the Scientific Foundations?
The project achieved a 97% accuracy rate using open-source data. Developed with the technical support of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kubilay Doğan Kılıç from Ege University Faculty of Medicine, the system grounds biological data on a mathematical basis. Experts emphasise that Melek's idea is entirely her own and was prepared with a serious scientific perspective.
The system aims to reduce the workload of pathologists while increasing early diagnosis rates. Supported within the scope of TEKNOFEST and TÜBİTAK projects, ONCOMathRIX is also in the process of publishing a scientific article.
Patent and Future Steps: The Vision of ONCOMathRIX?
The trademark registration of the project has been completed, and patent and intellectual property rights applications are ongoing. Melek Öztürk states, "I am working to be a hope for the difficulties many cancer patients face." The system could potentially be adapted to other types of cancer in the future.
An Inspiration for Young People: AI Achievements by High School Students in Türkiye
Melek Öztürk's story, her success in cancer diagnosis with artificial intelligence at the age of 16, demonstrates the interest of young people in Izmir in science and the potential of Türkiye's innovative young scientists. Projects like ONCOMathRIX highlight domestic developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and medicine.
We congratulate Melek Öztürk and her team on their success!
