AI to help end ‘postcode lottery' for vital prostate cancer drug
AI could bring an end to the "postcode lottery" surrounding a life-extending treatment for advanced prostate cancer, researchers have said.
A study has discovered that the technology can identify the patients who will benefit most from a "game changer" drug.
Abiraterone, a hormone therapy that blocks testosterone production to prevent the growth of prostate cancer, is approved for NHS use in England for patients with advanced prostate cancer that has spread.
However, it is not approved for men newly diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer that has not yet spread, even though it has been available for these patients in Scotland and Wales for the past two years.
The new test, developed by Artera, uses AI to detect features invisible to the human eye on images of tumour samples.
The study, led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and University College London (UCL), ran the test on biopsy images from more than 1,000 men who took part in the Stampede trial.
Patients were given a score of either biomarker-positive or biomarker-negative.
Researchers found abiraterone reduced the risk of death among biomarker-positive patients from 17 per cent to 9 per cent.
In biomarker-negative patients, the drug cut death risk from 7 per cent to 4 per cent, with researchers suggesting this indicates these men would benefit from standard therapy.
Nick James, a professor of prostate and bladder cancer research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, is chief investigator of Stampede and co-led the new study.
He said: 'This research shows that we can pick out the people who will respond best to abiraterone, and those who will do well from standard treatment alone – hormone therapy and radiotherapy.
'Access to this life-extending drug is currently a postcode lottery – with those living in Scotland and Wales able to receive the treatment for free.
'The NHS in England has previously decided that it would be too expensive to offer the drug. Since the patent expired in 2022, abiraterone costs just £77 per pack – compared with the thousands of pounds that new drugs cost.
'Previous research by my team has shown that preventing cancer relapses for these men would save more money than the drug costs to purchase.
'I truly hope that this new research – showing precisely who needs the drug to live well for longer – will lead to NHS England reviewing their decision not to fund abiraterone for high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread.'
Prof James also highlighted that while abiraterone can have 'spectacular' results, it does have side effects.
'Abiraterone has already hugely improved the outlook for hundreds of thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer,' he said.
'We know that for many men with cancer that has not yet spread, it can also have spectacular results.
'But it does come with side effects and requires additional monitoring for potential issues with high blood pressure or liver abnormalities.
'It can also slightly increase the risk of diabetes and heart attacks, so knowing who is most likely to benefit is very valuable.'
Experts hope the findings, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, may lead to a change in the availability of abiraterone in England.
Prof Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said the drug has been a 'game changer for treatment of prostate cancer'.
'Alongside our mission to find smarter, kinder treatments, we must ensure we are matching the right drugs to the right patients,' he added.
'This research, using artificial intelligence, provides an innovative route to testing prostate cancer patients to determine their treatment.
'I hope that this can be implemented so that all men with prostate cancer who will benefit from abiraterone can do so.'
Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'Prostate Cancer UK has been calling on the UK Government to approve this life-saving, cost-effective drug for over two years.
'These exciting results suggest a way to make this an even more cost-effective approach.
'We therefore echo the researchers' urgent call for abiraterone to be made available to those men whose lives it can save – men who, thanks to this research, we can now identify more precisely than ever before.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reduce stroke risk and lower blood pressure by eating 5 common foods every week
Your brain is one of the most important organs in your body, and one of the major health threats your brain can experience is having a stroke. This medical condition is often a life-altering event that can do lasting damage to your brain. But what actually is a stroke? According to the NHS, "a stroke is when blood stops flowing to a part of your brain. It can affect things like speech and movement, and it can take a long time to recover. A stroke needs urgent medical help in a hospital because it can be life-threatening." Fortunately, many strokes are largely preventable, especially with healthy lifestyle choices, including what you eat. Health expert, Vanessa King, M.S., RDN, shared: "Eating well plays a supportive role in reducing stroke risk and supporting recovery after a stroke." READ MORE: Cardiologist says four changes slash cholesterol better than statins READ MORE: 'Remarkable' snack flushes out fats and sugars and 'adds years to life' Medical studies have shown that "those with the highest-quality diets (as determined by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index) had a 40% lower risk of stroke compared to those with the lowest-quality diets," reported Eating Well. In fact, regularly eating just four common foods, including one unexpected caffeinated drink, may significantly reduce your risk of stroke. These aren't exotic superfoods that are hard to find; they are everyday items you might already have in your kitchen. Fish is a major superfood for the brain. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other heart-healthy nutrients that can help lower blood pressure and support the health of your blood vessels. Health expert Vanessa highlighted: "Three ounces of cooked salmon is a great source of vitamins B6 and B12, providing 23% of the Daily Value of B6 and over 100% of the Daily Value of B12." "These B vitamins may lower total blood homocysteine concentrations—a key risk factor for stroke." The expert recommends eating salmon with salads like Salad Niçoise or making a baked dish. Chickpeas are packed with nutrients that support brain health. Their high fibre and protein content is one of the biggest reasons why they may help reduce stroke risk. Vanessa shared: "A cup of these versatile beans adds 10% of the Daily Value of homocysteine-lowering vitamin B6. And since they come conveniently precooked, it's easy to crack open a can to upgrade nutrition in your meals. "They serve as a fibre-rich protein source for stews, salads, curries and snacks." Speaking to Eating Well, another health expert, Amy Brownstein, debunked misconceptions about soy food She said: "Soy proteins lower blood pressure. They're naturally low in fat, and compounds like phytoestrogens and isoflavones positively influence blood pressure by potentially relaxing blood vessels." However, meat eaters do not need to completely change their diet to soy to promote positive blood pressure, but the expert recommends replacing one meat-based meal a week with a soy dish. Spinach is one of the best greens to incorporate into your diet as its nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, and folate, help promote blood flow into your brain. "A half-cup of cooked spinach is a great source of folate and a good source of magnesium," said Vanessa. According to Healthline, when you eat leafy greens such as spinach, your body converts the nitrates into nitric oxide, which plays an important role in regulating blood flow and blood pressure. "A 2021 study found that consuming at least 60 milligrams (mg) per day of vegetable nitrate (1 cup of leafy green vegetables) led to a 17% reduced risk of ischemic stroke." Surprisingly, health experts have recommended drinking coffee as a part of a healthy diet due to its ability to lower blood pressure levels. Amy Brownstein highlighted: "Besides its caffeine content, coffee is a significant source of polyphenols like chlorogenic acid, which may contribute to lower blood pressure levels." However, limiting your sweeteners is recommended as studies show that added sugars can contribute to stroke risk. Too much sugar can also lead to diabetes. Diabetes can increase the risk of a stroke because having too much sugar in the blood damages the blood vessels, according to
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Supermarkets could face fines for failing healthy eating targets in obesity crackdown
Supermarkets and takeaways could be fined if they do not sell healthier food, under new government plans to tackle the obesity epidemic. All large businesses will report their sales of healthy food under the policy, part of a 10-year plan for the NHS unveiled next week. Targets will then be set to increase the amount sold, with penalties used as a last resort for companies who refuse to work with ministers to reduce the crisis. Initially developed by innovation agency Nesta, the policy introduces mandatory health targets for retailers while giving them flexibility in how to meet them, such as by tweaking recipes, running price promotions on healthier items, or redesigning store layouts. Supermarkets will be required to report sales data and those that fail to hit targets could face financial penalties, Nesta suggested. Cutting out just 50 calories a day could lift 340,000 children and two million adults out of obesity. Health secretary Wes Streeting said that when it comes to obesity 'unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable', adding: 'Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure.' Anna Taylor, the executive director of the Food Foundation charity, said: 'The introduction of mandatory reporting by all large food companies, including takeaway chains, on the healthiness of their food sales is a game-changer. The data will also clearly reveal to consumers which businesses are on their side and making healthy choices easy, and which are making it actively harder for them to eat well. The faster this is introduced, the better.' Sue Davies, from consumer group Which?, said: 'Mandatory food targets will help to incentivise retailers to use the range of tactics available to them to make small but significant changes – making it easier for people to eat a balanced diet and lead healthier lives.' Ministers argue a healthier nation will put less strain on the NHS, helping to drive down pressure on sky-high waiting lists. As part of the move, retailers including supermarkets will work to make the average shopping basket slightly healthier. The Department of Health said that if all those who were overweight cut down on what they ate by 216 calories, the equivalent of one fizzy drink, the UK's obesity crisis could be halved. Richard Holden, Tory shadow paymaster general, said: 'Making it harder to find crisps is not a substitute for proper reform. Labour ministers are too scared to face up to the fundamental changes our NHS needs. 'In government, the Conservatives made real progress on obesity, stabilising adult rates and cutting child obesity to its lowest since 2000. But we've always believed the best results come when people are trusted to take responsibility for their own health. 'Rearranging meal deals will make little difference. This is the worst type of nanny state nonsense there is – shallow, distracting, and completely unserious.' Britain has the third highest rate of adult obesity in Europe, costing the NHS £11.4bn a year – three times the budget for ambulance services. An upcoming report by the chief medical officer will show that more than 1 in 5 children are obese by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost 1 in 3 in areas of poverty and deprivation. Colette Marshall, chief executive at Diabetes UK, said: 'The introduction of mandatory reporting and targets on healthy food sales is crucial to improving transparency within the food industry and ensuring businesses can be held to account. 'Public health policies like this, and the junk food marketing ban, have the power to shift the dial from sickness to prevention. The government must build on these commitments in order to stem the alarming rise in type 2 diabetes and its life-altering complications.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Health Secretary calls on supermarkets to tackle obesity
Health Secretary Wes Streeting says the government will work with major supermarkets to make healthy food choices easier for consumers. He outlines plans to reduce calorie intake across the population, tackling rising obesity and easing pressure on the NHS without the need for additional taxes. .
