AI Test Identifies Prostate Cancer Patients Benefiting from Abiraterone Across UK, US, Switzerland

Researchers from the US, UK, and Switzerland have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) test that can accurately identify men with high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer who will benefit from the life-extending drug abiraterone. The AI tool analyzes routine biopsy images to detect tumor features invisible to the human eye, pinpointing about 25% of patients whose risk of death nearly halves when treated with abiraterone alongside standard hormone therapy. This biomarker-driven approach helps avoid unnecessary side effects and overtreatment in the remaining patients, who show no significant survival benefit from abiraterone, thus sparing them from potential harms like high blood pressure and diabetes. The tool's precision could lead to personalized treatment plans, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs by restricting abiraterone use to those most likely to benefit. Despite abiraterone's approval for advanced prostate cancer in England, it is not currently funded for high-risk localized cases, though it has been available in Scotland and Wales; experts urge NHS England to reconsider funding based on these findings. Presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, this breakthrough exemplifies AI's transformative potential in optimizing cancer care and addressing treatment access disparities.