FINDINGS

A brand new study shows that a man-made intelligence (AI) model co-developed by researchers within the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and department of Urology at UCLA can assist doctors determine the extent of cancer throughout the prostate.

In a series of tests, the AI model was found to be more accurate at predicting tumor margins than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), potentially improving the effectiveness of focal therapy, standardizing treatment margin definition, and reducing the possibility of cancer reoccurrence.

BACKGROUND

Focal therapy, a minimally invasive treatment approach used for localized tumors, is another treatment for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The technique involves imaging guidance, comparable to MRI, to accurately locate the tumor and guide the treatment. Real-time imaging through the procedure helps monitor the treatment progress and ensures the precise delivery of energy to the intended area.

Current methods, nonetheless, can underestimate the extent of prostate cancer, complicating the definition of focal treatment margins. AI has the potential to raised define these margins than MRI alone, a vital think about ensuring accurate diagnosis, precise treatment planning, and effective surgical procedures.

METHOD

Working with scientists at Avenda Health, the team used biopsy data from multiple institutions to coach the AI model, called Unfold-AI, to define margins during focal therapy. Testing was then conducted in an independent dataset of fifty patients who had radical prostatectomy for intermediate-risk cancer on the Stanford University School of Medicine. The team found the AI model was more accurate and effective at predicting tumor margins than conventional methods.

IMPACT

The advancement is an outgrowth of research initiated in 2009 by Dr. Leonard Marks, professor and deKernion Endowed Chair in Urology on the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The software has the potential to assist surgeons predict extension into the capsule of the prostate, help radiation therapists boost energy delivery to most significant spots, and improve the outcomes of focal ablation of prostate cancer.

Unfold-AI, which is being commercialized by Avenda Health, was spotlighted by NBC News together with President Biden’s AI Summit earlier this month.

JOURNAL

The study was published within the journal European Urology Open Science.

AUTHORS

The study’s first creator is Alan Priester, PhD, assistant project scientist within the department of Urology on the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The study’s senior creator is Geoffrey Sonn from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Other UCLA authors include Marks and Shyam Natarajan.

FUNDING

This work was supported partially by the National Cancer Institute (R01CA218547).