Daijiworld Media Network – Sydney

Sydney, Jun 11: In a landmark advancement in cancer care, researchers from Australia and five other countries have harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize personalized cancer treatment—without compromising patient privacy. The breakthrough, led by the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney, employs cutting-edge AI to securely analyze cancer samples from around the globe, marking a new era in precision oncology.

The study, unveiled on Tuesday, utilized a novel method known as federated deep learning to examine proteomic data—the protein profiles of cancer cells—from 7,525 samples collected by 30 research groups across Australia, the United States, Canada, Spain, Greece, and Austria.

Traditionally, stringent privacy regulations and technical disparities between laboratories have hindered large-scale collaboration in cancer research. However, this AI technique sidesteps such barriers by ensuring that patient data remains at the source. Instead of transferring sensitive data, the AI model is trained locally at each site, with only the analytical insights shared with a central system.

“It was a very exciting moment when we first saw that the results from data with highly restricted access were just as accurate as the results obtained when the data was all stored in one place,” said Professor Roger Reddel, Director of CMRI and senior author of the study, published in Cancer Discovery.

The federated approach also proved capable of integrating proteomic data generated using different techniques, thereby enhancing diagnostic precision across diverse datasets.

Part of CMRI’s ambitious ProCan program, this research is expected to reshape cancer diagnosis and treatment planning by equipping clinicians with more accurate, individualized options. “This AI-driven method marks a significant stride toward precision medicine, allowing us to unlock the potential of global cancer data while upholding the highest standards of patient confidentiality,” Reddel noted.

With this global collaboration, the dream of tailoring cancer treatments to individual biological profiles—securely and effectively—is now closer to reality.