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Antonio Giordano: "Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing screening and diagnosis of breast cancer (and not only)"

Originally published on: Vanity Fair






Antonio Giordano, a leading expert in cancer genetics, cell cycle regulation and gene therapy, was a student of Nobel Prize winner James Dewey Watson at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, United States. He has published more than 650 papers in scientific journals, holds several international patents, and has received more than 40 awards for his contributions to cancer research. He is a full professor of Pathological Anatomy at the Department of Medical Biotechnology of the University of Siena and a Professor of Molecular Biology at Temple University in Philadelphia. He is also the founder and director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and Center for Biotechnology of the College of Science and Technology at Temple University in Philadelphia, USA.


Among his many research activities, Giordano is also an activist focused on exposing environmental factors as the cause of tumor pathologies. His career as a researcher is strictly connected to his role as scientific communicator, emphasizing the connection between the environment polluted by toxic waste and the increased risk of chronic pathologies.


Giordano will be in Taobuk on Saturday, June 22 (at 12.15pm at the Hotel Villa Diodoro) to talk about artificial intelligence and cancer research. Taobuk is the international festival created and directed by Antonella Ferrara, which brings over 200 guests from the world of literature, cinema, and science to Taormina from June 20 to 24. Among the guests of this edition are Nobel Prize winner Jon Fosse, Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino, Marina Abramović, and Ferzan Ozpetek. Vanity Fair interviewed him exclusively on the use of AI in the oncology field.


What is the state of the art in the use of AI in the oncology field? In other words, which tools is it currently integrated into? Can you give us a couple of examples, which perhaps you have worked on?


The use of AI in oncology is increasing thanks to technological advances, greater clinical data availability, and a growing interest in personalized medicine. Personally, I have used AI to analyze genomic data with the goal of identifying genetic markers and/or mutations associated with cancer. I believe that, in combination with the advance in DNA sequencing technologies, AI will allow us to analyze big genetic data quickly, facilitating the discovery of new correlations between genes and tumors. One of the projects in which we participated is Champ (Cancer Health Analysis for Multi-Platform data), which used AI to integrate and analyze data from different platforms, such as genomics, proteomics, and medical images, to develop predictive models for cancer and identify new targeted therapies.


What are the medium-term prospects: on which fronts does AI promise better results?


In the medium term, AI is promising in early oncological diagnosis, personalization of therapies, and the discovery of new drugs. More specifically, artificial intelligence makes it possible to automate image analysis, detect tumors at early stages, conduct mass screenings, sequence and identify cancer biomarkers, optimize treatment regimens, and accelerate drug screening and rapid development of effective drugs.


Shall we talk more about diagnostics, especially early detection, or treatment part?


AI is used for the analysis of medical images such as mammograms, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and histopathology images, with the aim of early detection. Furthermore, it can support pathologists in the analysis of tissue samples to identify and classify tumors and contribute to the fine tuning of personalized treatment plans based on the genetic and molecular characteristics of each patient's tumor.


In what direction does research work change with the help of AI?


The use of particular algorithms, such as machine learning, makes it possible to recognize complex patterns in histological images and improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis or analyze genomic data to identify specific mutations. Correct use of AI, therefore, managed by a team of experts, can be useful in all clinical phases: from diagnosis to treatment, to clinical validation, and treatment monitoring.


In which tumors are AI-enhanced tools giving better results and what are the most widespread AI solutions in the oncology field?


The use of AI-enhanced tools has given particularly promising results in lung cancer, where it is particularly effective in early diagnosis. In breast cancer it is revolutionizing screening and diagnosis by improving the sensitivity and specificity of the tests while in melanoma, colorectal and prostate cancer it is implemented in detection and management.



Professor Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., is the creator and head of the Sbarro Health Research Organization, located at Temple University's College of Science and Technology in Philadelphia. Stay connected with him through his various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, to receive the latest updates.

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