NEW YORK, July 21: A new study from UCLA reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) outperforms traditional medical professionals in detecting prostate cancer. The research, detailed in a press release from the university, found that an AI tool identified prostate cancer with 84% accuracy, compared to 67% accuracy achieved by physicians.

The AI software, Unfold AI, developed by Avenda Health in California and recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, utilizes an advanced algorithm to assess cancer likelihood from various clinical data sources.

In the study, a team comprising seven urologists and three radiologists examined 50 cases where tumors had been surgically removed. Later, the same cases were analyzed by the AI software. The AI's analysis showed a "negative margin rate"—a measure indicating the absence of cancer cells around the removed tissue—45 times greater, significantly reducing the chance of residual cancer.

Dr. Ali Kasraeian, a urologist at Kasraeian Urology in Jacksonville, Florida, highlighted the AI’s role in his practice. “Unfold AI uses patient data, including pathology, imaging, and biopsy results, to create a 3D cancer estimation map,” he said. This technology helps determine whether a patient would benefit more from focal therapy or radical treatments, thereby optimizing cancer care and enhancing quality of life.

The AI’s potential for improving diagnosis and treatment could minimize the need for full-gland removal and its associated side effects, such as incontinence and impotence. UCLA Professor Joshua Trachenberg, who is also a prostate cancer patient, described his experience with the technology. After opting against a radical prostatectomy recommended by his doctors, Trachenberg participated in a trial using ultrasound and MRI-guided focal therapy. The 3D map generated by Unfold AI allowed for precise targeting of cancerous tissue while preserving healthy parts of the gland. Trachenberg is now cancer-free and avoided the radical surgery.

Trachenberg expressed optimism about the future of prostate cancer treatment with AI technology. “AI provides options beyond the traditional choices of watchful waiting or radical surgery,” he said. “Men should explore all available options, including AI technologies, before deciding on a radical prostatectomy.”

Dr. Harvey Castro, a board-certified emergency medicine physician and AI expert, cautioned about the limitations of AI. “The accuracy of AI is contingent on the quality of data it is trained on,” he noted, emphasizing that poor data can lead to inaccurate diagnoses. Castro also stressed that AI should complement, not replace, clinical judgment and that privacy concerns must be addressed with stringent data protection measures.

Dr. Kasraeian added that the cost of AI technology remains a barrier. “I hope this study encourages wider accessibility to these innovations for both urologists and patients,” he said.

The study highlights the transformative potential of AI in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, offering hope for more precise and less invasive options for patients.