Specific possibilities within AI make it possible to develop techniques that can perform certain tasks faster. These time savings can have an effect on the treatment and diagnosis of children with cancer. Researchers, doctors, and data specialists at Máxima are exploring how AI can create opportunities for children with cancer. And how we ensure these opportunities are taken advantage of. The mission of Máxima and data integrity serve as guiding principles.
Three examples, all in development stages, show how we at the Máxima hope to leverage AI to take steps toward our mission.
AI pinpoints type of brain tumor during surgery
As of 2024, AI technology helps determine the type of brain tumor already during surgery. With this new technology, the neurosurgeon can adjust the surgical plan during the procedure based on knowledge of the tumor type. Normally, it takes a week to determine the tumor type. Dr. Bastiaan Tops, head of the Laboratory for Childhood Cancer Pathology, linked the need from the operating room to the expertise of researchers at UMC Utrecht who developed a new deep-learning algorithm. Further research is being conducted to deploy the technique even more widely and structurally. Thus, the algorithm remains in development. In a next version, more tumor types will be added to make the diagnosis even more precise. Work is also being done on algorithms specifically for solid tumors and leukemias. KiKa is helping to make this research possible.
Customized treatment suggestion in minutes
By bringing together AI language models and specific algorithms in a new tool, scientific literature can be analyzed and selected very quickly. By combining this with anonymized characteristics of a child, such as genetic characteristics of the tumor and response to previous treatments, tailored treatment suggestions can be provided quickly based on the latest scientific findings. Normally, such a literature search takes two to three days. Uri Ilan, a pediatric oncologist and part of Máxima's digital innovation center, is building a new AI tool named Capricorn, with the help of Google. This tool, now in its testing phase, will help pediatric oncologists across the International Leukemia Tumor Board to determine treatment plans for children who do not respond to standard therapy. Eventually, Capricorn could potentially start helping pediatric oncologists from around the world who seek advice for possible treatments to determine the best-fit treatment for children with leukemia. The Princess Máxima Center Foundation is making this collaborative project and partnership with Google possible. Capricorn was developed during a Google AI Hackathon that was organized for the Maxima, to seek for digital solutions to improve healthcare and learn with purpose.
AI for improved care for children with kidney tumor
To improve the future care of children with kidney tumors, the use of AI is being investigated in several clinical projects. Prof. Dr. Marry van den Heuvel-Eibrink, pediatric oncologist and research group leader at the Máxima is coordinating this research. For example, using AI (machine learning), the computer learns to recognize different cell types in Wilms tumors. This will allow microscopic images to be analyzed automatically in the future, saving time and reducing errors. Pediatric pathologist Prof. Dr. Ronald de Krijger plans to use this tool, along with clinical data, to avoid international differences in assessment and automate classification. By adding molecular data later, new correlations may be discovered. This may lead to personalized treatments, which once validated, will help predict treatment outcomes. This research is made possible by the Hanarth Fund.
In the radiotherapy department, Dr. Geert Janssens, radiotherapist at the Máxima, and Dr. Matteo Maspero, assistant professor of computer imaging and clinical physicist in training at UMC Utrecht, are investigating how AI can help to plot radiation fields more quickly, accurately and reliably after Wilms tumor surgery. And research group leader Prof. Dr. Marc Wijnen and Dr. Lideke van der Steeg, both pediatric surgeons, are working with Dr. Annemieke Littooij, a radiologist at UMC Utrecht, on AI projects for radiology-guided surgery. This may ensure that children with kidney tumors will receive better and more precise surgery in the future.