An AI healthcare company claims that its software can more accurately identify the extent of prostate cancer compared to traditional methods used by doctors.
A recent study conducted by Avenda Health involved ten physicians evaluating 50 distinct prostate cancer cases. The findings revealed that Avenda’s Unfold AI software achieved an accuracy rate of 84.7% in cancer detection, whereas the manual assessments by physicians ranged from 67.2% to 75.9%.
The research, conducted in collaboration with UCLA Health and published in the Journal of Urology, indicated that when AI was utilized for cancer contouring, the accuracy of cancer size predictions improved by 45 times compared to assessments made without AI.
Shyam Natarajan, an assistant adjunct professor of urology, surgery, and bioengineering at UCLA and the study’s senior author, noted that the implementation of AI enhanced both the accuracy and consistency of the physicians’ evaluations, resulting in greater agreement among doctors utilizing AI support.
Typically, doctors rely on MRIs to evaluate tumor sizes, but some tumors can be invisible to this imaging method. According to Dr. Wayne Brisbane, an assistant professor of urology at UCLA, AI technology proves to be beneficial in scenarios where MRIs fall short.
“Integrating AI in cancer treatment has the potential to provide more effective and personalized care, tailoring treatments to the unique needs of patients and improving chances of combating the disease,” Dr. Brisbane commented, emphasizing that AI can surpass human capabilities.
Dr. Shyam Natarajan, CEO of Avenda Health, expressed that the validation of such innovations through research and recognition by the American Medical Association is empowering for medical professionals.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 8 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lives, and 1 in 44 men will succumb to the illness. It is projected that there will be 299,010 new prostate cancer cases in the U.S. this year, with an estimated 35,250 fatalities attributed to the disease.