In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have employed artificial intelligence (AI) to unveil that prostate cancer is not a singular disease but comprises two distinct types.

The research, utilizing AI, analyzed data from thousands of prostate cancer patients across nine countries, focusing on samples collected from these individuals.

Employing whole-genome sequencing from 159 patients, AI tracked changes in the DNA of prostate cancer samples, revealing two distinct groups.

Confirmation of these findings was achieved through mathematical approaches applied to various facets of the data, integrating the information into an evolutionary tree. This tree signifies the development of the two types of prostate cancer, termed as "evotypes." The ability to classify tumors based on their evolutionary pathways holds immense potential for transforming the diagnosis and treatment landscape of this complex and not fully understood disease.

The implications of this research are significant, particularly in sparing men from unnecessary treatments that can lead to undesirable side effects such as incontinence and impotence. The newfound understanding may also shed light on why some individuals experience a more aggressive form of the disease. With an estimated 1.4 million men worldwide affected by prostate cancer annually, these findings hold the promise of saving countless lives in the future.

Colin Cooper, a researcher involved in the study, emphasizes the gravity of the impact, stating, "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK. But while prostate cancer is responsible for a large proportion of all male cancer deaths, it is more commonly a disease men die with rather than from. For many years, we have been researching what causes some prostate cancers to become more aggressive than others. But it is only now, with advancements in artificial intelligence, that we have been able to show that there are actually two different subtypes at play.”