AI can predict how cancers will evolve
SCIENTISTS have used artificial intelligence to predict how cancers will progress and evolve, a method which could help doctors design the most effective treatment for each patient.
A team led by the Institute of Cancer Research London and the University of Edinburgh developed a new technique known as Revolver (Repeated evolution of cancer), which picks out patterns in DNA mutation within cancers and uses the information to forecast future genetic changes.
The ever-changing nature of tumours is one of the biggest challenges in treating cancer – with cancers often evolving to a drug-resistant form.
If doctors can predict how a tumour will evolve, they could intervene earlier to stop the cancer before it has had a chance to develop resistance, increasing the patient’s chances of survival.
The study is published in the journal Nature Methods.