Pathologists trained the tool to differentiate between immune cells and cancer cells in tumors. This revealed that while some parts of the tumor were packed with immune cells — which they describe as “hot” regions — others appeared completely devoid of them. The research team, led by Dr Yinyin Yuan of London’s Institute of Cancer Research, found that patients with a lot of these “cold” regions were more likely to relapse. After investigating the genetic make-up of the patients, they discovered that cancer cells in cold regions may have evolved more recently than those found in hot regions. They suspect this is because the tumor develops a “cloaking” mechanism to hide from the body’s natural defenses. [Read: AI helps eliminate radiation exposure in breast cancer screening] Their tool was able to spot how many regions with this cloaking mechanism exist within a tumor. Dr Yuan said in a statement: The researchers envision doctors using the tool to predict which patients will suffer a relapse and tailor treatments to their individual needs. Ultimately, it could improve survival rates for the disease, which currently kills over 35,000 people in the UK every year — making it the most common cause of cancer death in the country.
