Could AI help treat people with prostate cancer? A groundbreaking study is set to find out

A groundbreaking study, the Vanguard Path study, is underway to investigate if Artificial Intelligence can assist in determining the most effective treatments for prostate cancer patients. This research aims to address the challenge doctors face in accurately assessing the aggressiveness of the disease in individual patients, which can sometimes lead to unnecessary treatments like surgery or radiotherapy when active monitoring might be sufficient. The study, led by researchers at the University of Oxford and funded by Prostate Cancer UK, will initially test an AI technology called ArteraAI Prostate Biopsy Assay on existing prostate biopsy samples. These samples will come from men already diagnosed and treated for the disease, with at least five years of follow-up data. The AI's predictions will be compared against the real-world outcomes of these patients. Following this initial validation, the AI tool will be deployed in clinical settings, analyzing biopsies from newly diagnosed men, particularly in cases where treatment decisions are difficult. The study will be conducted at three NHS sites: North Bristol NHS Trust, Oxford ... download the app to read more