Leukemia is the most common cancer for children, impacting around one out of three patients (American Cancer Society). Various treatment pipelines exist to decrease the cancer spread, including intensive induction chemotherapy. Molecular markers have been a point of focus, since their DNA make-up can indicate a presence of leukemia, helping in early diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Quantum computing, which disobeys the rules of classical physics, is a booming field with versatile applications. In healthcare, quantum computing is being applied to increase computing power and provide more accurate diagnoses of diseases. In this study, molecular markers in acute myeloid leukemia are simulated using core principles of quantum computing, including placing qubits in superposition. By utilizing qubits to represent molecular markers, IBM Quantum Composer is used to create a circuit that accurately reflects the proper genetic frequencies and pathways in the dataset used.
Leukemia is the most common cancer for children, impacting around one out of three patients (American Cancer Society). Various treatment pipelines exist to decrease the cancer spread, including intensive induction chemotherapy. Molecular markers have been a point of focus, since their DNA make-up can indicate a presence of leukemia, helping in early diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Quantum computing, which disobeys the rules of classical physics, is a booming field with versatile applications. In healthcare, quantum computing is being applied to increase computing power and provide more accurate diagnoses of diseases. In this study, molecular markers in acute myeloid leukemia are simulated using core principles of quantum computing, including placing qubits in superposition. By utilizing qubits to represent molecular markers, IBM Quantum Composer is used to create a circuit that accurately reflects the proper genetic frequencies and pathways in the dataset used.
Abstract Leukemia is a life-threatening blood cancer that requires early and accurate diagnosis to improve patient outcomes. Traditional diagnostic methods based on manual examination of blood smear images are time-consuming and prone to human error. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, automated detection systems using machine learning and deep learning techniques have shown promising results. However, classical models face limitations in handling complex feature spaces efficiently. To address this, this project proposes a hybrid approach titled “Leukemia Detection using Quantum Machine Learning”, which integrates classical image processing with quantum computing techniques. In this work, microscopic blood smear images from a publicly available Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia dataset are utilized. The images undergo preprocessing steps including resizing, noise removal using Gaussian filtering, and normalization to enhance data quality. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is employed for classical feature extraction, transforming image data into meaningful feature vectors. These features are further reduced using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to make them suitable for quantum processing. The reduced feature set is encoded into quantum states using both angle encoding and amplitude encoding techniques. Quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement are leveraged through parameterized quantum circuits. Two quantum machine learning models, namely Quantum Support Vector Machine (QSVM) and Quantum Neural Network (QNN), are implemented to perform multi-class classification of leukemia stages, including Benign, Early, Pre, and Pro. The performance of both models is evaluated and compared using metrics such as accuracy, confusion matrix, and classification report. The proposed hybrid classical-quantum framework demonstrates the potential of quantum machine learning in medical image analysis. By combining deep learning with quantum algorithms, the system aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and computational efficiency. This approach not only enhances leukemia detection but also highlights the applicability of quantum computing in real-world healthcare problems, paving the way for future advancements in intelligent medical diagnosis systems.
This paper presents a feasibility study demonstrating that quantum machine learning (QML) algorithms achieve competitive performance on real-world medical imaging despite operating under severe constraints. We evaluate Equilibrium Propagation (EP), an energy-based learning method that does not use backpropagation (incompatible with quantum systems due to state-collapsing measurements) and Variational Quantum Circuits (VQCs) for automated detection of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) from blood cell microscopy images using binary classification (2 classes: AML vs. Healthy).
Key Result: Using limited subsets (50-250 samples per class) of the AML-Cytomorphology dataset (18,365 expert-annotated images), quantum methods achieve performance only 12-15% below classical CNNs despite reduced image resolution (64x64 pixels), engineered features (20D), and classical simulation via Qiskit. EP reaches 86.4% accuracy (only 12% below CNN) without backpropagation, while the 4-qubit VQC attains 83.0% accuracy with consistent data efficiency: VQC maintains stable 83% performance with only 50 samples per class, whereas CNN requires 250 samples (5x more data) to reach 98%. These results establish reproducible baselines for QML in healthcare, validating NISQ-era feasibility.
The use of quantum computing1 in healthcare represents a significant shift with the potential to revolutionize medical research, diagnostics, and treatment. Quantum computing can process and analyze large datasets much faster than classical computing, offering new opportunities in healthcare. This paper examines the various ways quantum computing can be applied in healthcare, such as in drug discovery, genetic research, personalized medicine, and complex disease modeling. By using quantum algorithms, researchers can identify new treatment targets and simulate the effects of drugs on human biology in ways that were previously impossible, which can reduce the time and cost of bringing new drugs to market. Quantum computing also allows for analyzing large genomic datasets2, which can help tailor treatments to individual genetic profiles. Additionally, this technology helps in modeling complex biological systems and disease processes, providing insights into the mechanisms of diseases at a molecular level and enabling the development of more effective treatments. However, integrating quantum computing into healthcare comes with challenges such as technical limitations, the need for specialized expertise, data security concerns, and ethical considerations. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of quantum computing in healthcare, addresses the associated challenges, and discusses the future directions of this growing field, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in fully utilizing quantum technologies in medicine. In recent years, quantum computing has rapidly advanced and attracted significant interest from academia and industry due to its unique ability to process information differently, resulting in previously unattainable computational capabilities. Despite its potential, the full impact of quantum computing on healthcare has not been thoroughly explored. This survey paper provides a systematic analysis of quantum computing's various capabilities in improving healthcare systems, focusing on its potential to transform compute-intensive healthcare tasks such as drug discovery, personalized medicine, DNA sequencing4, medical imaging5, and operational optimization. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, we have developed taxonomies6 covering different aspects, including background and enabling technologies, applications, requirements, architectures, security, open issues, and future research directions, offering a comprehensive view of the quantum computing paradigm for healthcare. Our survey aims to assist new and experienced researchers in quantum computing and healthcare by helping them comprehend the current research landscape, identify potential opportunities and challenges, and make informed decisions when developing new architectures and applications for quantum computing in healthcare
Leukemia is a critical blood-related health problem for which early diagnosis is a key aspect in the survival of the patient. Computer-assisted diagnosis using microscopic white blood cell images has received significant attention because the conventional manual approach is too time-consuming. In this paper, a hybrid Quantum Machine Learning-based approach for the classification of leukemia is presented. In the first place, the microscopic white blood cell images are preprocessed using resizing, normalization, and denoising techniques. Then, Principal Component Analysis is applied for dimensionality reduction. The reduced feature vectors are then mapped onto a quantum system using a Variational Quantum Circuit-based Quantum Neural Network.The presented method also validates the possibility of quantum-assisted learning in biomedical image diagnosis. Additionally, it offers a glimpse of how well a hybrid model would perform under Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) conditions. The experimental results are achieved using standard performance parameters such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. This method indicates how a hybrid model of QML can perform in a computationally simpler manner. This paper also indicates the potential of a quantum-classical system in future clinical applications for leukemia screening and diagnosis.
The rapid advancements in genomics and the availability of large-scale genetic datasets have revolutionized our understanding of genetic diseases. However, the complexity and high dimensionality of genomic data pose significant computational challenges for classical machine learning (ML) algorithms. Quantum machine learning (QML), an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines quantum computing with ML techniques, offers a promising solution to address these challenges. This paper explores the application of QML algorithms for diagnosing genetic diseases by leveraging the unique properties of quantum computing, such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum parallelism. A novel hybrid quantum-classical approach is proposed to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of disease diagnosis using genomic datasets. The methodology involves encoding genetic data into quantum states, applying quantum-enhanced feature selection and classification algorithms, and validating the results on publicly available datasets, such as the UK Biobank and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed QML framework achieves higher classification accuracy and faster computation times compared to classical counterparts. Equations, tables, and charts are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach. This research highlights the transformative potential of QML in precision medicine and lays the groundwork for future investigations into quantum-enabled healthcare solutions.
The convergence of quantum computing and artificial intelligence (AI) presents a paradigm shift in healthcare, revolutionizing complex biological simulations, genomic data processing, and drug discovery innovations. Traditional computational methods, despite their advancements, often struggle with the sheer scale and complexity of biological data, limiting the speed and accuracy of medical breakthroughs. Quantum computing, with its ability to process vast datasets exponentially faster than classical computers, coupled with AI's predictive capabilities, offers a transformative solution for accelerating biomedical research and clinical applications. This paper explores quantum machine learning’s role in optimizing AI-driven molecular dynamics simulations for drug discovery. By leveraging quantum-enhanced algorithms, researchers can rapidly model molecular interactions, analyze drug-receptor binding affinities, and predict pharmacokinetics with unprecedented precision. Additionally, we examine quantum-assisted deep learning models for deciphering intricate biological mechanisms such as protein folding, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic pathway interactions, enabling more accurate predictions of disease progression and therapeutic targets. Furthermore, the integration of AI-quantum hybrid models in clinical diagnostics and imaging analytics is redefining personalized medicine. Quantum-enhanced deep learning facilitates high-resolution medical imaging, real-time anomaly detection, and optimized radiomic feature extraction, leading to early and more accurate disease diagnosis. In genomics, quantum computing significantly accelerates whole-genome sequencing and mutation analysis, paving the way for tailored treatment strategies based on an individual's genetic profile. Despite its promise, challenges such as quantum hardware limitations, data coherence issues, and ethical considerations must be addressed to ensure the practical implementation of quantum-AI healthcare solutions. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential, challenges, and future directions of quantum-AI synergy in transforming modern healthcare.