We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

HospiMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News AI Critical Care Surgical Techniques Patient Care Health IT Point of Care Business Focus

AI Platform Analyzes Data from Prostate Imaging, Biopsies and Pathology to Identify Tumor Location

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 01 May 2023
Print article
The Unfold AI prostate cancer management platform enables more personalized and precise treatments (Photo courtesy of Avenda Health)
The Unfold AI prostate cancer management platform enables more personalized and precise treatments (Photo courtesy of Avenda Health)

One in eight men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime. Current treatments often involve treating the entire prostate due to the limitations of MRI technology in identifying the full extent of tumors and cancer growth. This approach results in nearly 50% of patients experiencing a loss of sexual or urinary function. Now, an FDA-approved prostate cancer management platform combines patient-specific data from prostate imaging, biopsies, and pathology into deep-learning algorithms to create a personalized cancer estimation map. The 3D, AI-generated map helps physicians visualize the location of the cancer for treatment decision-making and intervention planning.

Avenda Health’s (Santa Monica, CA, USA) Unfold AI is an AI-powered cancer management platform that utilizes a patient's diagnostic data to determine the extent of the disease and create a cancer probability map with optimal treatment margins. Unlike existing AI products for prostate cancer that primarily aid in diagnosis, Unfold AI targets urologists to assist in deciding the best treatment strategy based on each patient's specific tumor after diagnosis. After a patient undergoes an MRI and biopsy, their data is uploaded into Unfold AI, and a physician verifies the information. The platform then generates a 3D cancer estimation map, which can guide physicians in making treatment decisions and, if necessary, create a virtual treatment plan.

Current standard care for prostate cancer includes surgery, radiation, or annual biopsies for monitoring. Cancer is treated as a whole-gland disease, despite prostate cancer being extremely localized. However, these treatments can harm structures vital to sexual and urinary function, and some patients may require additional therapy within five years. Unfold AI helps urologists determine the most suitable course of action by providing a visual representation of the likely extent of the disease and the margin for targeted therapy, which is not achievable through standard care.

Avenda validated Unfold AI's algorithms by comparing the cancer estimation maps to surgical pathology slides and by having physicians assess cases using both standard care and Unfold AI. The platform's algorithms were trained on hundreds of thousands of diagnostic patient data points and validated using held-out datasets from separate institutions. Clinical studies have shown that Unfold AI improved urologists' sensitivity in identifying the tumor's extent to over 98%. In clinical trials, guidance from the platform led to changes in treatment recommendations in 28% of cases, often towards more localized treatments. Unfold AI allows for multiple treatment options, including active surveillance, whole-gland treatments, and soft tissue laser ablation.

"Our mission at Avenda Health is to create a better quality of life for prostate cancer patients and to give urologists a clearer view of the cancer so we can better treat our patients. Unfold AI will improve clinical care and decision-making," said Dr. Leonard Marks, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Avenda Health.

Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Gold Member
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Anesthesia Cart
UMGSA-33369-VIL

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: A demonstration of the on-skin wearable bioelectronic device (Photo courtesy of University of Missouri)

On-Skin Wearable Bioelectronic Device Paves Way for Intelligent Implants

A team of researchers at the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO, USA) has achieved a milestone in developing a state-of-the-art on-skin wearable bioelectronic device. This development comes from a lab... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The hyperspectral imaging system extracts molecular vibrations of different resins and distinguishes between them with high reproducibility (Photo courtesy of Hiroshi Takemura from Tokyo University of Science)

Novel Rigid Endoscope System Enables Deep Tissue Imaging During Surgery

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an advanced technique that captures and processes information across a given electromagnetic spectrum. Near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) has particularly gained... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable, handheld BeamClean technology inactivates pathogens on commonly touched surfaces in seconds (Photo courtesy of Freestyle Partners)

First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds

Reducing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a pressing issue within global healthcare systems. In the United States alone, 1.7 million patients contract HAIs annually, leading to approximately... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The Quantra Hemostasis System has received US FDA special 510(k) clearance for use with its Quantra QStat Cartridge (Photo courtesy of HemoSonics)

Critical Bleeding Management System to Help Hospitals Further Standardize Viscoelastic Testing

Surgical procedures are often accompanied by significant blood loss and the subsequent high likelihood of the need for allogeneic blood transfusions. These transfusions, while critical, are linked to various... Read more