A new study brings hope for men suffering from a common type of prostate cancer, the intermediate-risk type.
ArteraAI, a company that develops cancer tests using artificial intelligence (AI), partnered with scientists, including those from University Hospitals (UH) Seidman Cancer Center, to run the study.
The results are promising: they’ve discovered the first AI marker that can predict how beneficial a treatment known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) would be for prostate cancer patients.
Daniel Spratt, MD, the main author of the study, is thrilled. He says this is a significant step forward in treating prostate cancer.
With this AI-created marker, doctors can now tailor cancer treatment to each patient’s needs. He also highlights the importance of the collaboration with NRG Oncology, Artera AI, and other researchers.
He is proud to offer this groundbreaking test at UH Seidman Cancer Center to patients from Northeast Ohio and beyond.
Using AI to Predict Treatment Success
The study involved a new kind of deep learning technology and image data from more than 5,000 patients. These patients were part of five different Phase 3 trials, and had been monitored for a long time.
Over 100 centers across the US and Canada enrolled these patients in the trials. About 20% of the patients were African American men.
This is notable because usually, only about 10.8% of prostate cancer trial participants are African American men.
Committed to Impactful Research
Daniel I. Simon, MD, the President of University Hospitals, sees this research as a perfect example of their commitment to improving patient outcomes.
Theodoros Teknos, MD, President of UH Seidman Cancer Center, also applauds this important contribution to prostate cancer treatment.
Tailoring Treatment, Reducing Side Effects
ADT, when combined with radiotherapy, can improve patient outcomes in localized prostate cancer.
But, ADT can also cause unwanted side effects, from loss of sexual function to negative effects on heart and brain health.
Some studies suggest that radiotherapy alone can be effective, so many men may not need ADT at all. This new AI biomarker could help most intermediate-risk patients avoid the side effects and costs associated with ADT.
Gary Schwartz, MD, Director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, sees this as a game-changing discovery.
He applauds Dr. Spratt’s leadership in using AI technology to predict which men with localized prostate cancer will benefit most from adding ADT therapy to radiotherapy.
This will greatly impact how we approach the treatment of this disease, especially in high-risk groups such as African Americans.
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If you care about prostate cancer, please read studies that dairy foods may increase the risk of prostate cancer, and new strategies to treat advanced prostate cancer.
For more information about prostate cancer, please see recent studies about new way to lower the risk of prostate cancer spread, and results showing three-drug combo boosts survival in metastatic prostate cancer.
The study was published in NEJM Evidence.
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