A recent study led by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester has identified two distinct genetic types of prostate cancer using artificial intelligence (AI) analysis. Published in the journal Cell Genomics, the study suggests that this discovery could lead to more personalized therapies for individuals with the disease.
Prostate cancer affects approximately 300,000 Americans each year, with over 35,000 deaths expected in the U.S. in the current year. The effectiveness of available treatments varies among patients, highlighting the importance of identifying who is likely to benefit from specific therapies.
Genetic testing has helped some patients receive more tailored treatments, but current tests are not always able to predict treatment efficacy. The use of neural networks on prostate cancer samples from 159 patients revealed two distinct "evotypes" of the disease, shedding light on the complex evolution of cancers.
Professor Colin Cooper from the University of East Anglia emphasized the significance of this study, stating that until now, prostate cancer was believed to be a single disease. The identification of two subtypes could potentially improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes in the future, as well as enhance understanding of other cancer types.
The researchers plan to further analyze different cancer types to identify similar "evotypes," with the goal of developing more specific personalized medicine approaches. By combining genetic information with other factors such as stage at diagnosis, patients with cancer may receive treatments that are more likely to be effective for their specific subtype.
Overall, this research represents a step towards more targeted and personalized cancer treatments, with the potential to improve patient outcomes and advance understanding of cancer biology.