UCLA Health Jonnson Comprehensive Cancer Center Receives $3 Million Grant

According to a recent press release, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have received a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute. The grant will go toward identifying novel cancer biomarkers and developing artificial intelligence (AI) that can detect and predict aggressive prostate cancer to help avoid unnecessary treatments and their related negative side effects.

The press release states that “Despite recent advancements, prostate cancer remains a common and serious health issue for men, and current methods of screening and risk assessment can often lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. About 90% of people diagnosed with prostate cancer receive treatment, even though up to 60% of them could be candidates for active surveillance.”

Corey Arnold, professor of radiology and pathology and laboratory medicine will lead the project. Other project members include Paul Boutros, professor of human genetics and urology; Dr. Leonard Marks, professor of urology; Dr. Anthony Sisk, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine; and Dr. Steven Raman, professor of radiology.

Additionally, the team will work together with investigators at Washington University in St. Louis to integrate magnetic resonance imaging, digital histology images, genetic information, and biomarkers in a computational model that can more accurately capture a patient’s current cancer state and forecast outcomes.

Arnold, director of the UCLA Computational Diagnostics team, was quoted in the release. He says, “We expect this approach to be able to provide more accurate information about the nature of the cancer, helping doctors to distinguish between aggressive and less threatening forms. It will also allow for more personalized and targeted treatment plans, reducing unnecessary interventions and their associated negative effects on patients’ quality of life.”

UCLA Health has the press release.