A revolutionary AI test can help the risk of dying of prostate cancer by a maximum of half, a breakthrough study suggests.
From investigating images of tumors, it was able to identify patients who can benefit from a ‘game-changer’ drug by choosing functions that are invisible to the human eye.
About one in four men with ‘risky’ prostate cancer turned out to have a certain biomarker who made them more receptive to treatment.
Among those with the biomarker, taking the drug abiratoron in addition to standard hormone therapy lowered the risk of death after five years from 17 percent to 9 percent – a reduction of 47 percent.
Men without the biomarker saw their risk of death fall from 7 percent to 4 percent – of which is not considered statistical or clinically significant.
Abiraterone, who only costs £ 77 for a monthly offer since the patent has passed, works by braking testosterone in all tissues throughout the body, including in the tumor.
Researchers say that NHS England must now make the drug available per year for the 2,100 men who can benefit, while others save a treatment that is supplied with extra side effects.
It is approved for use on the NHS in England for patients with advanced prostate cancer who has come back and spread to other parts of the body, but not for the 8,400 men a year with newly diagnosed risky prostate cancer that has not spread.
A revolutionary AI test can help the risk of dying of prostate cancer by a maximum of half, a breakthrough study suggests (stock illustration of prostate tumor)
Experts say that because fewer men than previously thought the medicine need, NHS England must revise the decision not to finance the treatment for those who can benefit earlier.
It has been more available for men in Scotland and Wales for two years.
Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), in London and University College London, data from more than 1,000 men investigating a high risk of spreading.
The findings, based on a test developed by Artera Inc, will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
The mail has been campaigning for years to improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in an attempt to prevent unnecessary deaths.
Professor Nick James, who led the research at the ICR, said: “I really hope that this new research performs will show who the medicine needs to live well for longer that NHS England to finance Abiraterone for high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread.”
Scientists from Institute of Cancer Research and University College London (photo) investigated data from more than 1,000 men whose tumors were at high risk to spread
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “Abirateron is still routinely financed by the NHS in England for various forms of advanced prostate cancer in accordance with clinical guidance, and we keep this position in the neighborhood.”
In the meantime, lung cancer patients are offered a new blood test to speed up access to targeted treatments and to prevent unnecessary biopsies.
The ‘liquid biopsy’ is looking for small fragments of Tumor -DNA and detects mutations.
About 15,000 patients a year will benefit, says NHS England.
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