New Test Uses Machine Learning to Personalize Prostate Cancer Treatment

 New Test Uses Machine Learning to Personalize Prostate Cancer Treatment

A major breakthrough in cancer care is making headlines. Scientists from the US, UK, and Switzerland have developed a cutting-edge test that predicts which men with aggressive, non-metastatic prostate cancer are most likely to benefit from the drug abiraterone. This is significant because while abiraterone can save lives, it also causes serious side effects such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart complications.

Until now, doctors had no reliable way to know who should receive the drug. This new test, powered by machine learning, changes that. It analyzes digital images of tumor biopsy samples and identifies a specific biomarker that indicates whether a patient is likely to respond to treatment.

In a study involving over one thousand men, the test found that twenty five percent of them had this biomarker. For these patients, abiraterone reduced the risk of death within five years from seventeen percent to nine percent. For the rest, the drug showed little to no effect, meaning they could avoid unnecessary treatment and side effects.

The test is designed to work with routine clinical data and can easily be added to existing hospital workflows. It promises to make prostate cancer treatment more precise, sparing patients who do not need aggressive therapies and ensuring those who do get the help they need.

Researchers also hope the findings will encourage broader approval of abiraterone for early-stage use, especially in the UK where its application has been limited. With this test, the decision becomes more scientific, more ethical, and far more personal.

Read more here:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/30/new-ai-test-can-predict-which-men-will-benefit-from-prostate-cancer-drug