A healthcare technology company has announced that its software can more accurately assess the extent of prostate cancer compared to traditional methods employed by doctors. Avenda Health recently published a study involving ten doctors who evaluated 50 prostate cancer cases each. The findings revealed that Avenda’s Unfold AI software detected cancer with an accuracy of 84.7%, while the physicians’ manual attempts yielded accuracy rates ranging from 67.2% to 75.9%.
This study, conducted in collaboration with UCLA Health and featured in the Journal of Urology, also highlighted that when AI was used to assist in cancer contouring, predictions regarding tumor size were 45 times more precise and consistent compared to estimates made without AI intervention.
Dr. Shyam Natarajan, an assistant adjunct professor of urology, surgery, and bioengineering at UCLA and the lead author of the study, noted that the use of AI increased both accuracy and consistency among doctors, resulting in greater agreement during evaluations.
Urologist Dr. Wayne Brisbane from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA pointed out that while doctors typically use MRIs to gauge tumor size, some tumors are not visible in MRI scans. He emphasized the advantage of AI in identifying cases that MRIs may overlook. Brisbane stated, “Overall, the use of AI in cancer treatment could lead to more effective and personalized care for patients.”
Dr. Natarajan, CEO of Avenda Health, expressed his excitement about the validation of such innovations through studies and recognition from the American Medical Association.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately one in eight men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and one in 44 men will succumb to the disease. The organization estimates that there will be 299,010 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. this year, resulting in 35,250 fatalities.