Podcast: AI and Organoids Show Promise for Glioblastoma Patients

For years, doctors have used a standard course of cancer treatment for patients with glioblastoma brain tumors — a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. But the survival rate is still a dismal 6.8%, and the average patient lives only eight months after diagnosis.

This issue is personal for Antonio Iavarone, M.D., deputy director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. With much of his career spent as a pediatric oncologist, he became discouraged that he could not offer more to young patients struggling with cancerous brain tumors.

“In children, brain tumors are the most frequent cause of death and there is very little you can do,” he said.

Until now.

Dr. Iavarone joined the latest episode of the Inside U Miami Medicine podcast to share how he and his team are using a suite of innovative tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) and tumor organoids (also known as patient avatars), to combat these tough-to-tackle tumors.

“Our approach is incredibly complex,” he said. “This is translational science that offers immediate opportunities to change the way glioblastoma patients are routinely managed in the clinic. Now we see the possibility, the reality, to give hope to patients in real time.”

Tune in to hear how the team uses machine learning and precise tests on surgically resected tumors to target them for treatment. You will also hear about Dr. Iavarone’s journey to a research-driven career, from growing up in a small town in southern Italy to becoming a leader at one of the top cancer centers in the world.

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Tags: AI, Dr. Antonio Iavarone, glioblastomas, Inside U Miami Medicine, Inside U Miami Medicine podcast, patient avatars, tumor organoids