A team of UNSW medical scientists will use AI to analyse huge datasets of ovarian cancer data.
An international team of researchers, including UNSW Sydney Professor Susan Ramus, has secured $2.8 million in funding to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve the prediction of ovarian cancer survival and treatment responses.
New treatments for the most common type of ovarian cancer - high-grade serous ovarian cancer - have been introduced in the last decade. However, despite these advances, about 70% of patients experience a recurrence, and more than half die within five years of diagnosis.
The grant will allow researchers to use state-of-the-art AI to analyse one of the largest and most comprehensive international collections of ovarian cancer data, integrating tumour images, clinical records, immune features, genetic information and lifestyle factors from thousands of patients across international research groups.
The award includes a $1.4 million (USD $1 million) AI Accelerator Grant from the Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium , and another $1.4 million (USD $1 million) from Microsoft's AI for Good Lab .
Prof. Ramus leads the international Ovarian Tumour Tissue Analysis consortium, and her team manages the database of experimental and clinical data from more than 15,000 tumours.
"With this grant, we will use AI to perform large-scale integrated analysis of already available images and data on thousands of ovarian tumours to identify patterns that can predict patient survival," she said.
"Despite robust data, conventional statistical models have had limited success identifying distinct markers of longer survival. The goal is to use AI to uncover more complex patterns and develop robust tools to personalise treatment and improve patient outcomes."
The grant will also provide the opportunity for Prof. Ramus' PhD student Christine McCaffrey to travel to Vancouver, Canada, where she'll receive specialised training in AI digital image analysis with experts in the field.
"In the validation stage of the project, we will prepare DNA and RNA samples from tumours from patients with more recent diagnoses from the UK, Canada and Australia. The genomic data will be generated at the Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics at UNSW," Prof. Ramus said.
The research teams behind the project are also co-led by experts from three other countries, representing epidemiology, molecular oncology, artificial intelligence and clinical medicine:
- Dr. (Celeste) Leigh Pearce, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, United States;
- Dr. Ali Bashashati, Director of Artificial Intelligence Research, Ovarian Cancer Research Program, University of British Columbia, Canada; and
- Professor James Brenton, Professor of Ovarian Cancer Medicine, Senior Group Leader and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Researchers from five other Australian institutes (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, King Edward Memorial Hospital and University of Western Australia) and an Australian lived-experience advisor are also involved in the project.
Urgent need to catch up
Globally, 324,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and it remains the deadliest gynaecological cancer in Australia.
Despite the severity, ovarian cancer research is advancing far more slowly than research for many other major diseases. By 2050, global ovarian cancer diagnoses are expected to increase by more than 55% and annual deaths are projected to climb to about 350,956.
"This project has been shaped by many years of input from women who have lived experience of ovarian cancer, and I'm honoured to be part of the team receiving this grant," Prof. Ramus said.
"Every step forward in ovarian cancer research brings us closer to better outcomes and renewed hope for women everywhere."
The Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium unites four leading ovarian cancer research organisations from around the world - Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (Australia), Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (United States), Ovarian Cancer Action (United Kingdom) and Ovarian Cancer Canada.
"For too long, ovarian cancer has been left in the shadows - complex, underfunded and devastating for too many women," Robin Penty, CEO of the Australian-based Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation said.
"This new project, enhanced by the generous support of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, could signal a turning point. By harnessing the best of artificial intelligence, scientific collaboration, and global philanthropy, we can finally start unlocking the answers that have held back progress for decades.
"February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in Australasia. OCRF is proud to stand with our international colleagues at the forefront of this effort - because women deserve nothing less than bold research that drives real change and transforms survival outcomes worldwide."
Microsoft is partnering on this grant through its AI for Good Lab, donating nearly USD $1 million in technical and IT resources. This computing support will enable the research team to accelerate large-scale data analysis essential to the project's goals.
"New discoveries are urgently needed to find lifesaving treatments for ovarian cancer," said Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft Chief Data Scientist and Director of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab.
"Equipping leading researchers around the globe with powerful AI tools and computing resources will help accelerate their critical work and drive progress toward breakthroughs that could save lives."
By harnessing the best of artificial intelligence, scientific collaboration, and global philanthropy, we can finally start unlocking the answers that have held back progress for decades.
