A healthcare technology company, Avenda Health, has revealed that its AI software can identify prostate cancer more accurately than traditional methods used by doctors. In a study involving ten physicians who evaluated 50 prostate cancer cases each, 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% accuracy.
The research, conducted in collaboration with UCLA Health and published in the Journal of Urology, indicated that AI-assisted cancer contouring significantly improved predictions of tumor size—being 45 times more accurate and consistent compared to traditional methods.
Shyam Natarajan, an assistant adjunct professor at UCLA and the study’s senior author, remarked that the integration of AI made doctors’ assessments more precise and their decisions more aligned. He noted, “We saw the use of AI assistance made doctors both more accurate and more consistent.”
Typically, doctors utilize MRIs to gauge tumor size, but some tumors remain undetectable by MRI, as pointed out by Dr. Wayne Brisbane from UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. He emphasized the role of AI in overcoming these limitations, suggesting that it could significantly enhance treatment for patients by offering more customized and effective cancer care.
Avenda Health CEO Dr. Shyam Natarajan expressed optimism about the validation of such innovations in medical research, mentioning the recognition by the American Medical Association (AMA).
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 44 men will succumb to the disease. This year alone, it is estimated that the U.S. will see 299,010 new prostate cancer cases, with 35,250 related fatalities.