Priya Werahera Archives

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Diagnosis of Urologic Cancer – Current Trends and Future Perspectives

Posted by Priya N. Werahera, PhD | Nov 2024

Priya N. Werahera, PhD emphasizes integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical practice, highlighting this evolving field’s potential benefits and challenges. In this 13-minute presentation, Dr. Werahera underscores that AI must be carefully balanced with the expertise of doctors and pathologists, a crucial part of the diagnostic and decision-making processes.

Dr. Werehera discusses both Virtual AI (diagnosis, symptom management) and Physical AI (robotic surgery, nanotechnology for drug delivery). He notes the benefits of integrating AI into practice, such as precision diagnoses, individualized therapies, and cost savings. He also discusses the importance of supervised and unsupervised learning for AI models, providing a renal cancer example to illustrate different approaches using AI.

Looking towards the future, the speaker expresses optimism about AI’s potential to transform healthcare by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, improving patient outcomes, and streamlining healthcare delivery. This collaborative approach, where AI supports but does not supplant clinicians, is seen as the key to unlocking a bright future in healthcare characterized by innovation and improved quality of care.

Updates with Addressing the Microbiome

Posted by Priya N. Werahera, PhD | Sep 2024

Priya N. Werahera, PhD, explores the characterization of urinary microbiomes in healthy individuals and their implications for understanding disease processes such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other urologic conditions. In this 10-minute talk, he shares that urogenital microbiota, residing in the urinary and genital tracts, is now better understood due to advancements in next-generation sequencing.

The study identified urinary microbiomes in healthy men and women. Dr. Werahera discusses key findings, including identifying 609 species dominated by four major phyla and notable differences in microbial profiles between genders. This data encourages further discussion, questioning whether medication, gender, or age affect microbiome profiles.

The findings suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach is inadequate; instead, personalized assessment of urinary microbiomes, considering individual patient factors, is crucial for accurately diagnosing and managing bladder-related symptoms and infections.

Brian Moran Distinguished Lecture: Mobilizing Moran’s Army from Seed to Shining Seed

Posted by Peter F. Orio III, DO, MS | Sep 2024

Over the course of his career to date, Dr. Moran’s emphasis on quality of life issues and long-term outcomes for prostate cancer patients is evident, and his contributions to the fight against prostate cancer, such as performing over 30,000 prostate seed implant procedures and founding the Chicago Prostate Cancer Center, are innumerable.

Dr. Moran is a member of multiple specialty societies, including the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the American College of Radiology, and the American Brachytherapy Society. To learn more about Dr. Moran, please visit his Author Page on Grand Rounds in Urology.

The inaugural lecture was given at IPCU 34 by Peter F. Orio III, DO, MS.

Financial Toxicity of APC Management

Posted by R. Jonathan Henderson, MD | Sep 2024

R. Jonathan Henderson, MD, addresses the economic burden and stress experienced by patients due to high treatment costs in advanced prostate cancer (APC) management. He stresses that this aspect of APC care often goes under-discussed.

In this 9-minute presentation, Dr. Henderson highlights direct costs such as medications, hospital stays, and physician fees, as well as indirect costs including lost income and travel expenses. He emphasizes that these financial strains can lead to treatment non-adherence, delayed care, and worsened clinical outcomes.

Dr. Henderson discusses various strategies and interventions to address these challenges, underscoring the importance of policy changes at the institutional and governmental levels to improve access to affordable care.

Rationale for Involved Site SBRT-Enhanced Intermittent Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Nodal Oligorecurrent Prostate Cancer

Posted by Sean P. Collins MD, PhD | Sep 2024

Sean P. Collins, MD, PhD, discusses stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) combined with intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in managing nodal oligorecurrent prostate cancer. He emphasizes the evolving landscape of prostate cancer treatment, particularly in patients with limited nodal metastases, where traditional systemic approaches are being re-evaluated in favor of targeted and less toxic strategies.
Dr. Collins explores the clinical evidence supporting SBRT as a precise and effective modality that targets metastatic nodes while sparing surrounding healthy tissues. He underscores that when SBRT is combined with intermittent ADT, it provides a synergistic effect that not only controls localized disease but also allows for periodic withdrawal of ADT, thereby reducing the need for life-long hormone therapy.
Ultimately, Dr. Collins advocates for a paradigm shift toward more personalized and targeted management of nodal oligorecurrent prostate cancer. His insights provide a thoughtful analysis of the potential benefits of integrating SBRT and intermittent ADT.