Discover the groundbreaking AI-driven research from the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester uncovering a new, aggressive form of prostate cancer. Learn how this breakthrough could revolutionize diagnosis and treatment, potentially saving thousands of lives. Published in Cell Genomics, the study identifies two distinct subtypes, known as evotypes, offering personalized treatment possibilities through genetic testing. Join the international collaboration, The Pan Prostate Cancer Group, in partnership with Cancer Research UK, as they strive to develop a precise genetic test for tailored treatment decisions. Explore the intricate details of this study and its potential impact on prostate cancer prognosis.
Researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester, UK, have utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover a new, more aggressive form of prostate cancer. This breakthrough could potentially save thousands of lives by transforming how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.
Published in the journal Cell Genomics, the study reveals that prostate cancer, affecting one in eight men during their lifetime, comprises two distinct subtypes known as evotypes. The research, led by Dan Woodcock from the University of Oxford, suggests that this discovery could lead to personalized treatments based on genetic testing, facilitated by AI.
Woodcock highlights the significance of their research, stating, “Our findings reveal that prostate tumors follow diverse pathways, resulting in two distinct disease types. This insight is vital as it enables us to categorize tumors based on the cancer’s evolutionary journey rather than solely relying on individual gene mutations or expression patterns.”
The international collaboration, known as The Pan Prostate Cancer Group, involved researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research and The University of East Anglia, UK, who analyzed genetic data from thousands of prostate cancer samples across nine countries. Partnering with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the goal is to develop a genetic test, combined with conventional staging and grading, to provide more precise prognoses and enable tailored treatment decisions.
Using AI, the researchers examined changes in the DNA of prostate cancer samples from 159 patients through whole genome sequencing. Neural networks, an AI technique, identified two distinct cancer groups, a classification validated by two other mathematical approaches and confirmed in independent datasets from Canada and Australia.
The culmination of this information generated an evolutionary tree illustrating how the two subtypes of prostate cancer develop, converging into two distinct disease types termed ‘evotypes.’ Professor David Wedge from Manchester Cancer Research Centre underscores the importance of this insight, expressing, “This awareness is what empowers us to differentiate between the various types of the disease.”
Professor Colin Cooper from UEA’s Norwich Medical School points out that while prostate cancer accounts for a significant portion of male cancer deaths, it is often a disease men die with rather than from. This study, groundbreaking due to recent advancements in AI, challenges the previous belief that prostate cancer was a single type of disease, revealing the existence of two different subtypes.
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