Andre Abreu, MD, presented “AI and Treatment Planning for Prostate Cancer” during the 2024 Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy symposium on October 17, 2024, in San Diego, California.
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How to cite: Abreu, Andre. “AI and Treatment Planning for Prostate Cancer.” October, 2024. Accessed Jan 2025. https://grandroundsinurology.com/ai-and-treatment-planning-for-prostate-cancer/
AI and Treatment Planning for Prostate Cancer – Summary
Andre Abreu, MD, explores the role of artificial intelligence in treatment planning for prostate cancer, with a particular emphasis on focal therapy. This presentation, lasting approximately 15 minutes, begins by acknowledging the complexity of selecting candidates for focal therapy, which involves synthesizing clinical data, imaging, and biopsies. The potential for AI to streamline this intricate process is highlighted, particularly in improving MRI quality and prostate cancer detection.
Key insights include evidence that AI performs on par with non-expert radiologists in MRI interpretation and can enhance imaging outcomes, directly impacting prostate cancer detection rates. AI-driven segmentation is emphasized, showing its value in planning biopsies, surgeries, and focal therapies. Using a database of 750 patients at USC, Dr. Abreu provides an AI model with a reported accuracy compatible with leading deep learning systems.
The application of AI extends to histology, where it quantifies cancer presence with greater precision than traditional pathology methods. Combining clinical, imaging, and histological data demonstrates the potential for multimodal risk stratification, improving the selection process for intermediate-risk patients.
AI limitations are also addressed, including small sample sizes, lack of diversity in studies, and the “black box” nature of AI models, which raises concerns about transparency and explainability in healthcare. Dr. Abreu underscores the need for rigor in AI research to ensure its reliable integration into clinical practice.
Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy (FOCAL) is an outstanding program on prostate imaging, transperineal interventions, and ablative treatments for prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Bringing together community-based, academic, and industry partners, FOCAL offers lectures by world-renowned faculty and hands-on training workshops on in-office transperineal interventions, fusion-guided prostate ablation and state-of-the-art BPH management with novel technologies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Andre Abreu is a urological surgeon and urologist, currently practicing at the Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. He earned his M.D. from the Universidade Federal do Ceará Faculdade de Medicina, where he also completed an internship. Dr. Abreu then completed his urology residency at the Hospital São Lucas da PUCRS in Brazil, followed by a fellowship in minimally-invasive surgery at the Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California. Current affiliations include Verdugo Hills Hospital, the Keck Hospital of USC, and USC Norris Cancer Hospital.
He is well-versed in both English and Portuguese and has contributed to several published works focusing on a variety of subjects, including analyses of robot-assisted surgery techniques, the utility and accuracy of MRI and ultrasound technology, and the limitations of computed tomography for renal tumors.
