Brainomix and NCIMI collaborate on automated cancer tracking tool

Brainomix, the AI-powered medtech solutions company, is collaborating with the National Consortium of Intelligent Medical Imaging (NCIMI, hosted at the University of Oxford) and three selected NHS sites on a project to optimise and validate its automated cancer tracking tool, e-ACT.

e-ACT measures the size of lung cancer tumours and detects changes in tumour size indicating treatment response and disease progression. The collaboration will evaluate how automated assessment using e-ACT compares with the observations of medical specialists.

Preliminary data has already shown that e-ACT is at least as good as specialist doctors in measuring the size of lung cancer tumours at a single time point. This project, with NCIMI and NHS sites in Truro, Bath and Leeds, will allow Brainomix to develop e-ACT and demonstrate the potential impact that technology has to improve care of patients with cancer.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite therapeutic advances over the past few decades, 60% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer die within the first year, and 16% survive past five years.

Lung cancer treatment decisions are managed by multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), who monitor treatment response and disease progression by assessing CT scans over time, with a particular focus on tumour growth. This information is used to determine the efficacy of treatment(s), and whether a different treatment may be needed, or even that therapy should be stopped.

The 12-month study will include CT (CAT) scans and clinical data from 200 patients with confirmed lung cancer on systematic therapy. The study team will evaluate how automated assessment of disease progression and treatment response using e-ACT compares to radiologist assessment. The study will also include descriptive analysis of tumour dynamics using e-ACT in a representative NHS cohort.

This new project builds on a previous successful collaboration between NCIMI and Brainomix in the stroke space.

Dr Michalis Papadakis, CEO and co-founder of Brainomix said: “We are excited to embark on this project and thank NCIMI for their ongoing support. The preliminary results for e-ACT are very promising. With this new collaboration we have an opportunity to elevate the level of validation and refinement using a broad and robust dataset, which will bring e-ACT closer to a tool which improves clinical decision making and further personalises care for cancer patients.”

Mark Beggs, COO at NCIMI added: “We are delighted that this second Brainomix project has started. Both teams have worked effectively to secure ethical approval and to ensure contracts are in place. This study builds on the existing relationships with Royal Cornwall, Leeds and Bath NHS Trusts who have been great contributors to other NCIMI projects. We are especially pleased that Brainomix can build on the success of its e-Stroke product and expand into new therapeutic areas. We are looking forward to seeing early progress with the e-ACT project.”