Artificial intelligence helps breast cancer patients avoid unnecessary chemotherapy

Research by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and University College Dublin has identified immune markers that might help doctors decide which breast cancer patients won’t benefit from chemotherapy.
The study focused on early-stage, ER+HER2- breast cancer, which is common, and looked at patients with an intermediate risk who often receive chemotherapy as a precaution.
The research showed that cytotoxic T-cells, a type of immune cell around the tumor, could predict if chemotherapy will be effective, potentially reducing unnecessary treatment and its side effects.
The study used AI techniques to analyze immune cells and compared hormone-blocking therapy with and without chemotherapy in patients with an intermediate genomic risk.
The markers found could make treatments more precise and equitable for early-stage breast cancer patients globally.
Researchers have filed a patent for the method and are working on making it available in clinical practice, although further validation is needed.
The study was a collaboration between multiple institutions and was funded by Precision Oncology Ireland and other sources.
Further research aims to refine the approach so it can provide more personalized treatment decisions, reducing the need for chemotherapy in some patients.