Lung cancer researchers identify 'breakthrough' patterns predictive of treatment success

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australian scientists have used artificial intelligence to help create what's being called a "google maps approach" to cancer analysis.  It enabled researchers to identify which lung cancer patients would benefit from an expensive immunotherapy medicine.

Transcript

00:00It looks a bit like a map of the stars,

00:05but scientists are actually tracking millions of cells in cancer tumours.

00:10We're really interested in these red cells.

00:12University of Queensland researchers have studied biopsies from almost 250 patients

00:18with non-small cell lung cancer, scrutinising each sample with the help of AI.

00:25What we wanted to find out were were there patterns in the tissues

00:30that were predictive of response or resistance to immunotherapies.

00:35These patterns of where cells are located and how they communicate

00:40indicated whether individual patients would respond to a drug known as Keytruda.

00:45That's significant because it's expensive and severely toxic for some.

00:50The findings are a step toward more personalised cancer care.

00:55This work was done in lung cancer, but it's potentially applicable across

00:59a number of solid tumours where immunotherapies are being used.

01:04Eight years ago, Michael Eitel was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

01:09He says the findings offer hope.

01:11It's incredible, you know, I guess it's the beginning of understanding the world

01:15of tumours in lung cancer and in cancer.

01:18Advances in lung cancer research are sorely needed.

01:22It's the biggest cancer killer worldwide, including here in Australia,

01:26taking a huge toll on thousands of families each year.

01:30The Lung Foundation says the stigma of lung cancer,

01:34because of its association with smoking, is being eroded.

01:38There are researchers working on different parts of the lung cancer puzzle

01:42right across the world, so it is the time for optimism and hope.

01:45A clinical trial is in the works.

01:48The research has been published in the scientific journal Nature Genetics.

01:52The research has been published in the field of Nightsha Nature Genetics.

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