UCLA researchers awarded $3.2 million NIH grant to develop AI tool for more personalized liver cancer treatment

Summary: Imagine trying to shoot millions of tiny basketballs into a moving hoop all at once. That is exactly what doctors do when treating liver cancer with a therapy called Y90 radioembolization. They shoot tiny radioactive beads into the liver's blood vessels to destroy tumors. If the aim is off and too few beads hit the target, the cancer survives. If too many miss, they can block blood flow and severely damage healthy parts of the liver.

To solve this targeting problem, researchers at UCLA just won a $3.2 million grant to build a brand new AI tool. This artificial intelligence acts like a super-smart coach, using advanced MRI scans to map out the complex blood flow inside the tumors. It helps doctors predict exactly where the radioactive beads will go so they can aim them perfectly, killing the cancer without hurting the rest of the body.

For more details, see rssapp-uclahealth-org-news at uclahealth.org/news/release/ucla-researchers-awarded-32-million-nih-grant-develop-ai (opens in new tab)