AI detects cancer 17% more accurately than doctors: UCLA study

Artificial intelligence is beating doctors when it comes to detecting a common cancer in men.

A new study from UCLA found that an AI tool identified prostate cancer with 84% accuracy — compared to 67% accuracy for cases detected by doctors, according to a press release from the university.

Unfold AI, made by California-based Avenda Health — software recently cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration — uses an AI algorithm to visualize the likelihood of cancer based on different types of clinical data.

In the study, a team of seven urologists and three radiologists analyzed 50 cases where tumors had been removed, looking for signs of residual cancer.

A few months later, the AI ​​software performed the same analysis.

The “negative margin rate” – a medical term that describes the absence of cancer cells surrounding the removed tissue – was 45 times higher in cases detected by the AI, so the chances of cancer being left behind were much lower.

Ali Kasraeian, MD, a urologist at Kasraeian Urology in Jacksonville, Florida, said he uses Unfold AI technology in his consultations with patients about prostate cancer management.

“The AI ​​takes the information we currently have about a patient’s prostate cancer — such as their pathology, imaging and biopsy results — and creates a 3D cancer assessment map,” he told Fox News Digital via email.

“The results we get from Unfold AI tell us whether a patient will be a better fit for focal therapy or more radical therapy, such as radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy, ensuring we optimize their cancer treatment, personalizing care their cancer response and quality of life goals.”

Based on these findings, AI could lead to more accurate diagnoses and more targeted treatments, reducing the need to remove the entire gland and the side effects that can come with it, such as incontinence and impotence, the researchers wrote.

Joshua Trachenberg, PhD, is a professor of neurobiology at UCLA—and also a prostate cancer patient himself. After doctors found a slow-growing tumor in his prostate, they recommended surgical removal of the gland – but he decided to explore other options.

“I came into contact with a team at UCLA, where I’m also a faculty member, that was exploring alternative treatments for total removal of the gland,” Trachenberg, 56, told Fox News Digital via email.

UCLA researchers were testing an approach that uses ultrasound to heat tissue and “centrally guided” MRI to destroy cancerous tissue without damaging the rest of the gland, he said.

After several imaging scans, it was determined that Trachenberg was a candidate for the experimental therapy.

“The 3D map created by Unfold AI enabled this team to identify precise boundaries, target the cancerous area and avoid any functional glandular structures,” he said.

“He was really able to visualize my cancer and gave me a much better understanding of my case.”

Trachenberg is now cancer-free and was able to avoid a radical prostatectomy.

“So many men fear treatment because of the risks associated with removing the glands, and Unfold AI enables therapies that don’t put men through the meat grinder,” he said.

This type of AI technology gives Trachenberg hope for the future of prostate cancer treatment, he told Fox News Digital.

“Too often, we’re only given two options: Watch and wait for it to get worse, or remove the entire gland, which often leaves men with lifelong side effects that strain their physical health, emotional health and even marriages theirs,” he said.

“I would recommend any prostate cancer patient who is told they need a radical prostatectomy to take some time to look at all their options, [including] AI Technologies.”

Potential risks, limitations

Dr. Harvey Castro, a board-certified emergency medicine physician and national speaker on artificial intelligence based in Dallas, Texas, was not involved in the new study, but shared his insights into the potential risks associated with the technology.

“The accuracy of AI is highly dependent on the quality of the data it’s trained on,” he told Fox News Digital. “Poor data can lead to incorrect diagnoses.”

Castro also warned against an “overreliance” on AI.

“While AI is a powerful tool, it should complement, not replace, the clinical judgment of healthcare professionals,” he said.

“AI is our new diagnostic ally,” added Castro. “But like any tool, it works best in human hands.”

Privacy also needs to be considered when using this type of technology, according to Castro.

“Handling sensitive patient data with AI requires strict data protection measures to maintain patient trust and confidentiality.”

The cost of AI technologies can also be a significant barrier, Kasraeian added.

“I hope this study encourages us and future payers to make these innovations more accessible to urologists and, more importantly, to our patients.”