We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




AI Model Identifies Sex-Specific Risks Associated with Brain Tumors

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 10 Oct 2024

For years, cancer researchers have observed that men are more likely than women to develop glioblastoma, a deadly and aggressive form of brain cancer with a median survival of just 15 months after diagnosis. More...

Additionally, these tumors tend to be more aggressive in men. However, identifying specific characteristics that could help predict which tumors will grow faster has remained a challenge. Now, researchers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to uncover these risk factors and explore how they differ between men and women.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI, USA) are utilizing AI's computational capabilities to analyze large datasets of medical images, aiming to find patterns that could assist oncologists in making more informed decisions for their patients. Their goal is to address the entire range of challenges that cancer patients face, from diagnosis and prognosis to assessing treatment response. In this study, the researchers focused on digital images of pathology slides—thin sections of tumor samples—in an effort to detect patterns that might predict how fast a tumor could grow and, consequently, how long a patient might survive. Accurate prognosis is critical, as it influences treatment decisions and impacts patients’ quality of life after diagnosis.

To tackle this problem, the researchers developed an AI model capable of detecting subtle patterns in pathology slides that might be imperceptible to the human eye. They trained the model using data from over 250 glioblastoma studies, teaching it to recognize distinctive tumor features such as the abundance of certain cell types and the extent of the tumor’s invasion into nearby healthy tissue. Additionally, the model was trained to identify correlations between these features and patients' survival times, while also considering their sex. Through this approach, the team created an AI model that can identify risk factors for more aggressive tumors, with distinct patterns associated with each sex.

For women, higher-risk characteristics identified by the AI model included tumors that were infiltrating into healthy tissue. In men, the presence of pseudopalisading cells—cells that surround dying tissue—was linked to more aggressive tumors. The researchers' initial findings, published in Science Advances, revealed that the model also detected tumor traits associated with poorer prognoses for both sexes. The team is now extending their work to MRI data and has started using AI to analyze other cancers, such as pancreatic and breast cancers, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. This study could pave the way for more personalized treatment approaches for glioblastoma patients.

“There’s a ton of data collected in a cancer patient’s journey,” said radiology and biomedical engineering professor Pallavi Tiwari. “Right now, unfortunately, it’s usually studied in a siloed fashion, and this is where AI has huge potential. By uncovering these unique patterns, we hope to inspire new avenues for personalized treatment and encourage continued inquiry into the underlying biological differences seen in these tumors.”


New
Gold Member
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Gold Member
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
DH-800 Series
New
Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer
MS-i3080
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Over 100 new epigenetic biomarkers may help predict cardiovascular disease risk (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Routine Blood Draws Could Detect Epigenetic Biomarkers for Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, yet predicting individual risk remains a persistent challenge. Traditional risk factors, while useful, do not fully capture biological changes... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.