Could an Emerging AI Platform Supplant Traditional MRI for Assessing Prostate Cancer?

iQuest™ (Avenda Health), an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that may facilitate more precise imaging of prostate cancer beyond traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has garnered 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Avenda Health said the iQuest precision oncology platform utilizes deep learning algorithms and a variety of existing diagnostic data from a patient’s MRI and biopsy results to create three-dimensional (3D) mapping of prostate cancer. Noting that current MRI technology significantly underestimates prostate cancer disease, Avenda Health said the 3D visualization with iQuest gives providers an enhanced understanding of the extent and growth of prostate tumors.

In a recent interview with OncologyLive, Brittany Berry-Pusey, PhD, a co-founder and chief operating officer of Avenda Health, said the iQuest system helps identify tumor margins and calculates “voxel-level probability of clinically significant prostate cancer.”

Research with the iQuest platform has reportedly demonstrated a 60 percent improvement in sensitivity for identifying the extent of prostate cancer tumors and subsequent changes in treatment recommendations in 27 percent of cases, according to Avenda Health.

“We are excited about the potential to unlock precision care in prostate cancer with iQuest as it is a key enabling technology for focal therapy to be a reality … ,” noted Shyam Natarajan, Ph.D., a co-founder and CEO of Avenda Health. “In order for a doctor to treat focally, they need to know where cancer is and the healthy tissue to avoid. This is vital information that iQuest now provides. This is a huge step forward in transforming the standard of care in prostate cancer.”

References

1. Avenda Health. First AI-powered precision oncology platform for prostate cancer care, iQuest™, receives FDA clearance. Cision PR Newswire. Available at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-ai-powered-precision-oncology-platform-for-prostate-cancer-care-iquesttm-receives-fda-clearance-301696475.html . Published December 7, 2022. Accessed December 7, 2022.

2. Doherty K. AI-powered focal therapy maps future treatment paradigm in prostate cancer. OncologyLive. Available at: https://www.onclive.com/view/ai-powered-focal-therapy-maps-future-treatment-paradigm-in-prostate-cancer . Published September 8, 2022. Accessed December 7, 2022.