Artificial intelligence could soon be used to identify prostate cancer patients with the deadliest form of the disease.
The groundbreaking computer software would allow doctors to decide at an early stage which patients need intensive and targeted treatments to prevent the spread of the disease.
The ambitious project, funded by Prostate Cancer UK, involves studying blood samples from thousands of patients to detect genetic mutations linked to aggressive cancer.
“Armed with this knowledge, we will develop a model that can predict whether a man’s prostate cancer will be aggressive based on a blood sample,” says Prof. Ros Eeles of the Institute of Cancer Research.
‘This will help doctors overcome significant challenges and could revolutionize the way prostate cancer is diagnosed, treated and managed.’
Prostate Cancer UK is funding AI software that can identify men suffering from the most serious forms of prostate cancer
Some men develop aggressive prostate cancer, which can be fatal within a few years. This kills 12,000 men every year
In the UK, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. About 55,000 men are diagnosed with the disease every year.
Many cases of this disease grow slowly. Some patients have lived with the condition for more than ten years without symptoms and sometimes without treatment.
However, others develop aggressive prostate cancer, which can be fatal within a few years. This kills 12,000 men every year.
But doctors have no way to determine which cancers will cause patients’ cancers to become aggressive if diagnosed early.
Now Prof. Eeles and her colleagues say that studying blood samples from men who have undergone radiotherapy will allow them to develop an AI model that can predict which men’s cancers are likely to come back after treatment.
The researchers will then test the accuracy of this software before it is rolled out across the NHS.
‘When a man receives the devastating – and often unexpected – news that he has prostate cancer, it is important that he is given the right action plan for his specific cancer straight away,’ explains Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK.
“We’ve invested in this research so that men and their doctors will ultimately be equipped with more of the information they need to find and treat the deadliest cancers as quickly as possible.”