United Kingdom, 03 Nov 2025: A new artificial intelligence tool designed to support prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment planning will soon be trialled across NHS hospitals, scientists have revealed.

The initiative, known as the £1.9 million Vanguard Path study, is funded by Prostate Cancer UK and led by experts at the University of Oxford. Over the next three years, the programme will evaluate the ArteraAI Prostate Biopsy Assay, using biopsy samples from more than 4,000 patients.

The AI technology works by analysing digitised tissue biopsy images and generating a tailored risk score for each patient. Research has already demonstrated its ability to determine which patients with high-risk prostate cancer are likely to respond best to abiraterone, a drug used to control aggressive forms of the disease.

Early US research suggests the system may also guide decisions in cases of less aggressive cancer, helping clinicians identify patients who could benefit from hormone therapy alongside radiotherapy.

Additionally, studies indicate that the tool may assist doctors in recognising individuals who can safely undergo active surveillance, avoiding immediate treatment and reducing unnecessary side-effects.

In the report by The Guardian, Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “If and when this gets implemented, you could use one tool irrespective of where you are on the aggressiveness scale, to make a very clinically and life-enhancingly important decision for each of those men.”. He added that the tool was already being widely used in the US.

In the initial phase of the research, previously collected prostate biopsy samples from men already diagnosed and treated for the disease will be analysed. These samples, paired with long-term patient outcomes, will help determine whether the AI tool’s predictive accuracy holds true for UK patients.

Following this validation stage, the technology will move into real-world testing at three NHS centres, North Bristol NHS Trust, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Here, the system will be used as part of the standard diagnostic process for men undergoing evaluation for prostate cancer.

“Biopsies will be analysed, the treatment choices will be made, and the man will start treatment. But at the same time, the NHS clinicians will be given a readout from this tool and asked: ‘If you had this, would you have recommended the same treatment or not?’” said Hobbs, adding that part of the trial would also explore to what extent the tool affected the time between diagnosis and treatment choice.

Prof Gerhardt Attard, from University College London, who was involved in the study around abiraterone use but is not part of the trial, said the research was important as approaches often worked well in clinical trials. 

In the same Report, Ashley Dalton, the minister for public health and prevention said:  “When you take that to the real NHS world, there are a number of challenges and differences that would inevitably arise and that’s what this study will address,” Ashley Dalton also welcomed the trial. “This groundbreaking research could be a huge step forward, demonstrating the power of technology to potentially transform lives and improve cancer outcomes,” he said. “This is exactly why we’re investing in a digital NHS. By harnessing AI and moving beyond outdated systems, we can transform cancer care – diagnosing earlier, treating more effectively, and improving patient experience.”

This trial could mark a turning point in prostate cancer care, using AI to deliver faster, more personalised treatment and better outcomes for patients.