A new artificial intelligence test (AI) can determine which men with prostate cancer will benefit more than the drug that extended Abiraterone life to the results of clinical trials presented by UCL scientists and the Institute of Cancer Research.
The researchers analyzed samples of prostate cancer from men with high -risk prostate cancer who had not spread, who participated in the Stampede test. Using the new AI test, they found that Abiraterone, parallel to standardized hormone therapy, almost hates the risk of death for about 25% of men with this type of cancer.
However, since many men do well with standardized treatment, there is a need to better choose those who gain the greatest benefit.
Experts say that because fewer men than they previously believed would need the drug, NHS England will have to revise the decision not to fund the treatment for this men’s group.
The natural history of advanced and aggressive prostate cancer is very variable and now with better treatments, the risk of cancer recurrence can be significantly reduced. This study shows, in a very large group of patients, that new AI algorithms can be used to extract information from the usual available pathology slides to adapt these treatments to specific patients and minimize excessive treatment while maximizing the likelihood of treatment. ”
Professor Gert Attard, co-head of trial by UCl Cancer Institute
Abiraterone, discovered in the United Kingdom at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), works inhibiting the production of testosterone hormone in all tissues throughout the body, including tumor.
It has been approved for use in NHS in England for patients with advanced prostate cancer who has returned and spread to other parts of the body, but not for 8,400 men per year with newly -known prostate cancer that has not yet spread. However, it is available for men with this indication in Scotland and Wales for two years.
The new test, developed by Artera Inc., uses AI to study volume samples and impressions that are invisible to the human eye.
The researchers used the test in biopsy images of more than 1,000 men involved in the Stampede test. Patients received a score – either positive from biological or biological negative – compared to the effects of their disease.
For patients with positive biomarker tumors, Abiraterone reduced the risk of death after five years from 17% to 9%.
For those who had negative biomarker tumors, the risk of death without Abiraterone was 7%, which was cut to 4% with Abiraterone – a difference that was not statistically or clinically significant. These men will only benefit from standard treatment and could avoid unnecessary treatment and additional side effects that come with it.
Professor Nick James, co-head of trial from the Research Cancer Institute and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Abiraterone has already improved side effects and requires additional monitoring on issues or issues with advanced prostate cancers. likely to benefit is valuable.
“This study shows that we can choose the people who will best respond to Abiraterone and those who will do well from standardized treatment only – hormone therapy and radiotherapy.
“Access to this medicine that expanded life is currently a lottery – with those living in Scotland and Wales who can receive the treatment for free. To buy.
Dr. Matthew Hobbs, Director of Research at Cancer Cancer UK, said: “StampeDe has led to huge improvements in the treatment of prostate cancer over the last decade, but we have recognized that samples and data from men in the test represented an unused resource and years.
“To unlock this potential, Cancer Cancer UK, in collaboration with Movember, was awarded £ 1.4 million to drive the way to get a more accurate understanding of prostate cancer, including the use of AI tools.
“The UK prostate cancer calls on the UK government to approve this correct and cost -effective drug for over two years. These fascinating results indicate a way to make this even more efficient approach.
Giles Turner, 64, who lives in Brighton, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2023. He has taken Abiraterone for almost two years and has spent £ 20,000 to treat him so far. He said: “This is a great deal of research and adds even more reasons for the NHS England to start funding this treatment now, I find it very difficult to agree with the savings and drug savings.
The results of the test were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The StampeDe test is coordinated by the MRC Council (MRC) clinical trials unit in UCL and is funded by Cancer Research UK.
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