A new study from UCLA has revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly more accurate than doctors in detecting prostate cancer.
The study found that an AI tool, Unfold AI, identified prostate cancer with an 84% accuracy rate, compared to just 67% for physicians.
Unfold AI, developed by Avenda Health in California and recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, uses an AI algorithm to analyze various clinical data and visualize the likelihood of cancer.
In the study, seven urologists and three radiologists reviewed 50 cases where tumors had been removed to look for any remaining cancer. The AI software conducted the same analysis a few months later and significantly outperformed the doctors.
One key finding was the “negative margin rate,” which describes the absence of cancer cells surrounding the removed tissue. In AI-detected cases, this rate was 45 times higher, indicating a much lower chance of leaving cancer behind.
Dr. Ali Kasraeian, a urologist at Kasraeian Urology in Jacksonville, Florida, uses Unfold AI in his practice. He explained to Fox News Digital that the AI takes existing patient information, such as pathology, imaging, and biopsy results, and creates a 3D cancer estimation map. This helps doctors decide if a patient is better suited for focal therapy or more radical treatments, ensuring personalized care and optimizing cancer treatment outcomes.
“AI is our new diagnostic ally,” Dr. Kasraeian said. “But like any tool, it works best in human hands.”
The study’s findings suggest that AI could lead to more accurate diagnoses and targeted treatments, potentially reducing the need for full-gland removal and the associated side effects like incontinence and impotence.
This approach has already shown promise for patients like Joshua Trachenberg, a UCLA professor and prostate cancer patient.
After doctors found a slow-growing tumor on Trachenberg’s prostate, they initially recommended gland removal. However, he opted for an experimental therapy being tested at UCLA that uses ultrasound guided by MRI to destroy cancerous tissue without harming the rest of the gland.
The 3D map created by Unfold AI was crucial in identifying precise margins and targeting the cancerous area.
“It was truly able to visualize my cancer and it gave me a much better understanding of my case,” Trachenberg told Fox News Digital. Today, he is cancer-free and avoided a radical prostatectomy, a treatment option that can leave men with lifelong side effects.
While the benefits of AI in cancer detection are clear, experts caution against overreliance on the technology.
Dr. Harvey Castro, an emergency medicine physician and national speaker on AI based in Dallas, Texas, noted that AI’s accuracy depends heavily on the quality of the data it is trained on. He also explained the importance of complementing AI with the clinical judgment of healthcare professionals and maintaining stringent data protection measures to preserve patient trust and confidentiality.
“The cost of AI technologies can also be a significant barrier,” added Dr. Kasraeian. “I hope this study encourages us and future payers to make these innovations more accessible to urologists and, most importantly, to our patients.”
The UCLA study highlights the potential of AI to revolutionize prostate cancer detection and treatment, offering hope for more accurate diagnoses and less invasive treatment options for men.