Genetic markers have been shown to predict a person’s likelihood of developing various types of cancer.
Now, researchers believe that new artificial intelligence (AI) tools could make it easier and faster for doctors to detect these indicators.
A team of neurosurgeons and engineers from the University of Michigan announced last week that the new DeepGlioma AI-based diagnostic tool is capable of detecting genetic mutations in brain tumors during surgery within 90 seconds.
The researchers analyzed tumor samples from more than 150 patients with diffuse glioma, a cancerous tumor that develops in the brain or spinal cord.
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The new system reportedly identified genetic markers consistent with diffuse glioma with an average accuracy of more than 90%.
“This AI-based tool has the potential to improve access and speed of diagnosis and care for patients with fatal brain tumors,” said Dr. Todd Hollon, a neurosurgeon at Michigan State University and assistant professor of neurosurgery at UM Medical School. in the press release announcing the results.
University of Michigan researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that could make it easier and faster for doctors to detect genetic markers of brain cancer. (iStock)
Dr. Hollon is the founder of DeepGlioma and was the lead author of the study published in Nature Medicine.
The DeepGlioma system uses optical imaging to capture real-time images of brain tumor tissue.
Doctors hope the test offers more hope for glioma patients
“The median survival time for patients with diffuse malignant tumors is only 18 months,” the University of Michigan said in a press release.
The AI system showed 90% accuracy in finding cancer genes.
“Progress in the treatment of the most deadly brain tumors has been limited in recent decades, in part because it has been difficult to identify patients who would benefit most from targeted treatments,” said lead author Daniel Orringer, MD, associate professor. neurosurgery and pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in the same press release.
Fewer than 10 percent of patients with tumors in the brain or spinal cord are enrolled in clinical trials for new drugs, UM noted.
The survival time for patients with diffuse malignant glioma is only 18 months. (iStock)
Trials typically only enroll patients in “certain molecular subgroups.”
Researchers hope that by more quickly identifying genomic data in cancer tumors, the DeepGlioma test can help get more patients into clinical trials sooner.
“Rapid molecular classification methods hold great promise for rethinking clinical trial design and bringing new therapies to patients,” said Dr. Orringer.
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Dr Hollon said he is hopeful the new technology will lead to faster diagnosis and treatment, as molecular tests – when available – usually take days or weeks to produce results.
“Obstacles to molecular diagnostics can lead to inadequate care for patients with brain tumors, complicating surgical decision-making and selection of chemoradiation regimens,” said the press release.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study’s authors for additional comment.
“Precision medicine” can improve patient outcomes
Dr. Dung Trinh, chief medical officer of the Healthy Brain Clinic in Long Beach, California, who was not involved in the study, said the findings open the door to personalized “precision medicine” and potentially better outcomes for patients. brain tumors
“With the help of AI and other advanced technologies, doctors can analyze vast amounts of genomic and other medical data to identify mutations and select personalized treatment plans,” one doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“With the help of AI and other advanced technologies, doctors can analyze large amounts of genomic and other medical data to identify these mutations and select personalized treatment plans,” he told Fox News Digital.
“AI can help doctors select personalized treatment plans.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines “precision medicine” as “an innovative approach to tailoring disease prevention and treatment that takes into account differences in people’s genes, environment and lifestyles, with the goal of targeting the right treatments to the right patients at the right time.”
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Additionally, Dr. Trinh said that precision medicine can help reduce the use of ineffective treatments that can have side effects and be expensive.
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“Patients who receive personalized precision medicine may have more positive experiences with their treatment because they believe their care is tailored to their specific needs,” he added.
Melissa Rudy is a health editor and member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.