A new study is showing how artificial intelligence (AI) could help doctors better predict outcomes for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). By using an AI tool to analyze prostate cancer tissue samples, researchers have developed a system that can identify which patients are at higher risk for poor outcomes, potentially improving how treatments are chosen and tailored.

Men with advanced prostate cancer often have very different responses to treatment. Some live longer and do better with certain therapies, while others don’t respond as well. With more treatment options becoming available, doctors need better tools to figure out which approach will work best for each patient. That’s where this AI tool, called a multimodal artificial intelligence (MMAI) biomarker, comes in.

The researchers analyzed data from a large prostate cancer study (the CHAARTED trial) involving 456 men with mHSPC. They used digital images of tissue samples combined with other clinical data, like blood test results, to create an AI score for each patient. This score, the MMAI biomarker, helps predict:

• Overall survival (OS): How long a patient might live.
• Disease progression: How quickly the cancer grows or spreads.
• Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC): When the cancer stops responding to hormone therapy.

The AI tool divided patients into risk groups based on their MMAI scores:

• High-risk patients: Had a 5-year survival rate of only 39%.
• Intermediate-risk patients: Had a 5-year survival rate of 58%.
• Low-risk patients: Had a much better 5-year survival rate of 83%.

These results show that the AI tool was highly effective at predicting outcomes. Even when accounting for other factors like treatment type or how advanced the cancer was, the MMAI biomarker remained a strong predictor of survival and progression.

This study highlights how AI could make a big difference in prostate cancer care. By providing more accurate predictions about how a patient’s cancer might behave, the MMAI biomarker could help doctors:

• Choose the best treatments for each patient.
• Avoid over-treating or under-treating the cancer.
• Focus on improving quality of life.

For patients, this means more personalized and effective care. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, treatments could be tailored to their specific needs and risks.

Source.