An artificial intelligence-based prostate cancer management platform recently made its official debut in clinical settings with patients at a renowned U.S. research hospital.
The Unfold AI platform—a product of healthcare company Avenda Health—is reportedly already being used by several physicians at the hospital. The recently FDA-cleared program merges patient-specific information from prostate imaging, biopsies and pathology, resulting in a deep learning algorithm that creates an AI-generated 3D map of cancer. This grants providers a precise view of a cancer’s location and can be used in disease management and treatment planning.
Leonard Marks, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of Avenda Health, described the latest development as a “major step forward for the prostate cancer community.”
“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,” Marks said in a prepared statement.
The Unfold AI platform has been validated in numerous clinical studies and has been shown to significantly improve urologists’ sensitivity for identifying tumor progression. In those same studies, use of the platform resulted in treatment adjustments for 28% of cases included in the analysis, often resulting in more localized treatment.
Wayne Brisbane, MD, assistant professor of urology, has already utilized the technology to assist in treatment planning.
“With a wide breadth of ablative options available, Unfold AI represents the first technology to improve tumor localization and patient selection,” Brisbane said. “I am hopeful that Unfold AI will be to intraprostatic staging what prostate-specific membrane antigen PET-CT has been for extraprostatic staging. Additionally, there are potential applications for surgery, radiation therapy, and patient decision-making.”
The U.S. FDA extended 510(k) clearance to Unfold AI in December of 2022.
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.