UT Southwestern Newsroom: AI may help brain cancer patients avoid biopsy
A new UT Southwestern study shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can identify a specific genetic mutation in a glioma tumor by examining 3D images of the brain, with more than 97% accuracy. The approach uses a deep-learning network and standard MRI to detect the status of a gene called isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), which produces an enzyme that in mutated form may trigger tumor growth in the brain. "Knowing a particular mutation status in gliomas is important in determining prognosis and treatment strategies," said researcher Dr. Joseph Maldjian, chief of neuroradiology at the university's O'Donnell Brain Institute. "The ability to determine this status using just conventional imaging and AI is a great leap forward."