San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium® 2024: New advances in breast cancer research

Using AI to fight cancer

One of the key sessions at SABCS 2024 focuses on the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve breast cancer care. Newer AI mammography tools have the potential to not only improve the identification of existing cancers, but also potentially improve the prediction of a patient’s future risk of breast cancer. These approaches may help better identify which patients with breast cancer may need more intensive screening.

Scientists are also using AI to speed up the search for new drugs and is one of the most exciting areas being discussed in scientific communities today. However, AI is still in its early days, and this session will discuss the world of possibilities with digital tools but also the guidance and evidence that is still needed.

Improving care with real-world evidence

Real-world evidence (RWE) is another big topic at SABCS 2024. After a medicine is approved for use by the FDA and patients are taking it, information about its use in actual medical practice—in the “real world”—can be gathered. This information is then studied to learn more about the experiences of patients prescribed with a medication, including how well it works, or even what patients say about how they feel while on treatment. This information is called “real-world evidence” (RWE).

The RWE that comes from real-world studies is gathered from sources such as medical records, insurance claims, certain mobile apps that capture medical information, or other places where similar information can be found. While randomized clinical trials are considered the “gold standard,” these RWE sources can provide meaningful information about how a medicine is used in everyday practice.