A new artificial intelligence tool is transforming prostate cancer treatment with its ability to accurately predict which men will benefit most from abiraterone, a drug that can halve the risk of death. Though a “gamechanger” for advanced prostate cancer, its use for earlier-stage disease has been controversially limited in some regions, including England.

The innovative AI tool, a collaborative effort by researchers from the US, UK, and Switzerland, analyzes subtle visual cues in tumor biopsies that are imperceptible to the human eye. This predictive capability is key to ensuring that abiraterone is administered only to those patients who are most likely to experience its life-saving benefits, optimizing treatment efficacy and minimizing unnecessary drug exposure.

This “exciting” breakthrough was unveiled at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual conference, the world’s largest gathering of cancer experts. Professor Nick James, a co-leader of the study, stressed the critical need for such a tool. He noted that while abiraterone offers “spectacular” results for many, it also carries potential side effects, including high blood pressure and liver issues, underscoring the importance of patient selection.

In a trial involving over 1,000 men with high-risk, non-spreading prostate cancer, the AI successfully identified a quarter of the patients for whom abiraterone reduced the five-year risk of death from 17% to 9%. For the vast majority of men deemed “biomarker-negative,” the drug showed no significant clinical advantage, providing a strong argument for targeted therapy and potentially expanding appropriate access to this vital medication.