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Medical researchers say a new computer model could help doctors identify aggressive prostate cancer earlier, sparing men with low-risk cases from unnecessary treatments and biopsies.
Experts say the technology could address “one of the biggest challenges today” in the disease, which is reliably predicting which tumors will be life-threatening.
For the £1.4 million initiative, known as Reimagine, scientists will assess the medical information of more than 1,000 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. This will be connected to NHS records to map the progression of the disease.
Specialists will look for common traits in samples from patients with slow-growing tumors compared to those with more aggressive forms.
It is hoped that this data will allow researchers to build a numerical model capable of predicting the progression of cancer at the time of diagnosis.
According to Prostate Cancer UK, which is funding the study alongside the John Black Charitable Foundation, existing diagnostic tests cannot accurately predict the course of cancer in a man.
This leaves tens of thousands of men each year facing potential side effects such as incontinence and erection problems from unnecessary biopsies or treatment, while aggressive cancer in others is sometimes overlooked.
The initiative is led by Professor Mieke Van Hemelrijck from King’s College London, alongside experts from University College London, Imperial College London and Radboud University.
Professor Van Hemelrijck said: “One of the biggest current challenges in prostate cancer is that we still cannot reliably predict which cancers will be life-threatening and which will remain low risk.
“Without this certainty, doctors don’t have all the information they need to make the best decisions for men, whether that’s avoiding treatment altogether or acting quickly to treat deadlier forms of cancer.
“By linking existing, highly detailed clinical information with NHS data showing what actually happened to men over time, we hope to predict how a man’s cancer is likely to behave in years to come, giving patients and clinicians much greater confidence in these decisions.”
Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Too many men face great uncertainty after a prostate cancer diagnosis.
“This next-generation diagnostic tool could finally change all that and bring prostate cancer diagnosis into the 21st century.”
“Getting a more accurate picture of each man’s cancer means more men receive the right treatment at the right time, fewer men experience unnecessary side effects and, ultimately, more lives are saved.
“This is exactly the kind of bold and ambitious research that we are proud to fund with the support of the John Black Charitable Foundation.
“We can’t wait to see what this could do for the tens of thousands of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.”
Barry O’Carroll said he wasn’t sure how aggressive his prostate cancer was when he was diagnosed, and doctors said they would monitor him closely.
The 54-year-old from Cheshire said: “I honestly found it very difficult knowing I was living with cancer, but not knowing if it was going to spread – it was like a ticking time bomb.
“However, as I was closely monitored and actively monitored, when it started growing nine months later it was quickly spotted and I had it removed.
“The operation was a complete success and I am now cancer free and have a new outlook on life.
“I have no regrets about my treatment, but I know it would have been easier if we could have known for sure how aggressive the cancer was, and it’s great to see new research developing to help make this a reality for men like me in the future.”
The trial will begin on December 10.
Prostate Cancer UK is also running the Transform trial, which is investigating the most effective way to screen for the disease.
Gn Health
