UBC researchers develop AI to predict cancer patient survival - Vancouver Sun

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Researchers at UBC and B.C. Cancer are using a new artificial intelligence model they say predicts cancer patient survival much better than before.

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For the study, published Thursday in JAMA Network Open, researchers used a type of AI to analyze oncologist notes following a patient’s initial consultation visit.

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The study says the AI model predicted six-month, 36-month and 60-month survival rates with greater than 80 per cent accuracy. The researchers used data from 47,625 patients across all six B.C. Cancer sites in the province, according to UBC.

“Predicting cancer survival is an important factor that can be used to improve cancer care,” said the lead author, Dr. John-Jose Nunez, a psychiatrist and clinical research fellow with the UBC Mood Disorders Centre and B.C. Cancer, in a statement released by UBC on Thursday.

He said this research might help health providers make an earlier referral to support services or offer a more aggressive treatment option upfront.

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“Our hope is that a tool like this could be used to personalize and optimize the care a patient receives right away, giving them the best outcome possible.”

Cancer survival rates are usually determine by factors such as the cancer’s location and tissue type. UBC researchers say it can be challenging for oncologists to accurately predict an individual patient’s survival due to the many complex factors that influence patient outcomes.

ticrawford@postmedia.com

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UBC researchers develop AI to predict cancer patient survival - Vancouver Sun
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