Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing prostate cancer treatment by improving the accuracy of tumor mapping, according to a study published in the July issue of The Journal of Urology. The research, led by Dr. Sakina Mohammed Mota from Avenda Health, demonstrated that AI-assisted contouring significantly reduces the underestimation of prostate cancer extent compared to traditional methods.

The study involved a comparative analysis of physicians' performance using AI versus standard methods for tumor delineation. The research included seven urologists and three radiologists from five institutions, with experience ranging from two to 23 years. Each reader retrospectively assessed 50 prostatectomy cases eligible for focal therapy, first defining cancer contours manually and later using AI software after a four-week interval.

Findings revealed that AI-assisted cancer contours achieved a balanced accuracy of 84.7 percent, surpassing the 67.2 percent and 75.9 percent accuracy of cognitively defined and hemigland contours, respectively. Traditional manual contouring methods tended to underestimate cancer extent, with a negative margin rate of 1.6 percent compared to the 72.8 percent achieved with AI assistance.

"Overall, the use of AI in cancer treatment could lead to more effective and personalized care for patients, with treatments that are better tailored to their individual needs and more successful in fighting the disease,” said coauthor Dr. Wayne G. Brisbane from the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles.

The study's promising results suggest that AI could play a crucial role in enhancing prostate cancer treatment, offering more precise and individualized care. However, it is noteworthy that several authors of the study have disclosed ties to Avenda Health, the company behind the AI software used in the research.