Artificial intelligence in the fight against cancer metastases - a breakthrough!

Artificial intelligence in the fight against cancer metastases - a breakthrough!

A new research project at the Technical University of Dresden brings a breath of fresh air to cancer research. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used under the name Decipher-M to better understand the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and optimize the treatment approaches. The start date of the project is March 1, 2025, and it is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the "National Decade against Cancer" Initiative for three years.

The interdisciplinary team under the direction of Prof. Dr. med. Jakob N. Kather am Else Kröner Fresenius Center (EKFZ) for digital health will work to identify complex patterns in clinical routine data. The aim is to develop a multimodal basic model to help to predict the individual metastasis risk of more precisely and to develop personalized treatment strategies.

research focuses and methods

The challenge of metastasis formation is an important hurdle in modern medicine. As health research-bmbf.de The core topics of the national decade against cancer in improving screening and treatment with high metastasis risk. Modern AI methods are used in the Decipher M consortium to analyze radiological images, pathological reports and genetic information.

This detailed research is intended to improve the understanding of metastasis formation in order to optimize the prediction of the tumor spread to other organs. The knowledge gained will serve as the basis to find out which treatments are most effective for specific patients.

financing and support

The BMBF has approved a preliminary funding of around 5.5 million euros for the first three years, while the EKFZ receives around 700,000 euros in this first funding period. The requested overall term of the project comprises five years in which a total of around 9 million euros are to be provided, provided that the expected interim evaluation is positive. If the assessment is successful, additional funding of around 520,000 euros could be approved for two years.

The founding of the EKFZ in September 2019 aims to sustainably improve health care, medical research and clinical practice through digitization.

Ki as a gamuchanger in cancer research

The use of artificial intelligence is also considered promising in the optimization of clinical studies. According to a report by arvato-systems.de , AI can increase the efficiency and accuracy of clinical studies by optimizing patient selection, study design and data analysis. AI-based approaches can accelerate the recruitment of patients and increase the quality of the data collected.

This innovative approach could play a crucial role in the further development of oncology and medication development. The combination of modern AI technologies and extensive data analysis promises to significantly improve treatment options for people with cancer.