Artificial Intelligence Test Could Hold Key To Bowel Cancer Treatment

The test uses artificial intelligence to measure proteins present in patients with advanced bowel cancer to help doctors decide on the best treatment options.

Experts from the University of Leeds collaborated with researchers at Roche Diagnostics to develop the test.

They used samples from a previous trial, funded by Cancer research UK, to look at levels of two proteins – AREG and EREG – produced by some colorectal cancers.

AI algorithms were able to show patients with higher levels of these proteins who received significant benefit from a treatment which inhibits these proteins, known as EGRF.

Patients with low levels of proteins did not benefit from treatment with EGRF.

Currently, anti-EGFR treatments are only given to patients with advanced, incurable bowel cancers, but researchers hope their methodology could be used in the future to identify patients in the earlier stages of illness who could also benefit from the drugs.

Christopher Williams, from Leeds University’s division of pathology and data analytics and lead author of the report, said: “As more treatment options become available for advanced colorectal cancer, it is becoming increasingly difficult for patients and their doctors to choose the treatment that’s right for them.