Avenda Health has announced that its AI software can identify the extent of prostate cancer with greater accuracy than traditional methods used by doctors.
In a recent study involving ten physicians who each evaluated 50 prostate cancer cases, Avenda’s Unfold AI software achieved an accuracy rate of 84.7%. In contrast, the doctors’ manual assessments ranged from 67.2% to 75.9%.
Conducted in collaboration with UCLA Health and published in the Journal of Urology, the study highlighted that utilizing AI for cancer contouring significantly improved predictions of tumor size, making them 45 times more accurate and consistent compared to assessments without AI support.
Dr. Shyam Natarajan, an assistant adjunct professor of urology at UCLA and one of the study’s senior authors, noted that the use of AI not only enhanced the accuracy of diagnoses but also improved agreement among physicians when working with AI assistance.
Traditional methods often rely on MRIs to determine tumor size; however, some tumors are not visible on MRI scans. Dr. Wayne Brisbane, an assistant professor of urology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, explained that AI can fill the gaps where MRIs fall short. He emphasized that AI could lead to more personalized and effective treatments for patients, tailored to their specific needs.
Dr. Natarajan, CEO of Avenda Health, expressed enthusiasm regarding the validation of their innovation through research and its recognition by the American Medical Association.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 8 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and 1 in 44 will succumb to the disease. This year, it is projected that there will be 299,010 new diagnoses of prostate cancer in the U.S., with 35,250 deaths attributed to the disease.