Written on November 21, 2023.
The initiative is supported by funding of 7 million euros from the Horizon Europe programme
A consortium of 11 international partners has been established, the only Italian member is the IRST IRCCS “Dino Amadori” of Meldola. Scientific Director Giovanni Martinelli: “FLUTE integrates technical advances into a cutting-edge platform and is a pioneer in innovations that improve the security of healthcare data”. In our country, in 2022, there were 40,500 diagnoses of this tumor
Artificial Intelligence to improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer by minimizing unnecessary biopsies, with substantial benefits for patients and the healthcare system, thanks to cost reduction. This is the objective of the FLUTE (Federate Learning and multi-party computation Techniques for prostate cancer) project which aims to develop a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence tool for the diagnosis of this male neoplasm, the second most commonly diagnosed in men worldwide , with an estimate of 1.4 million new cases in 2020. In Italy, in 2022, there were 40,500 diagnoses of this tumor, the most frequent in men in our country. FLUTE is an innovative initiative funded under the Horizon Europe Framework Program and is aimed at promoting data-driven healthcare. The European Commission has granted a total funding of 7 million euros for a 3-year consortium which includes an interdisciplinary team of 11 partners: the only Italian one is the Romagna Institute for the Study of Tumors ‘Dino Amadori’ – IRST IRCCS of Meldola.
“The 5-year survival rate for prostate cancer in Italy exceeds 90% and we have various tools available to combat the disease, ranging from surgery to chemotherapy to radiotherapy to targeted therapies up to nuclear medicine – sfold Giovanni MartinelliScientific Director of the ‘Dino Amadori’ Institute -. The treatment of this neoplasm requires a multidisciplinary approach, in which it is now necessary to also include Artificial Intelligence. The FLUTE project is set to revolutionize the use of healthcare data, thanks to an approach that preserves patient privacy, ensuring that data does not have to leave the secure hospital databases where it is stored. With a focus on integrating advanced Artificial Intelligence models, FLUTE is pioneering technical innovations that improve data privacy and security in the healthcare industry. The project will integrate these technical advances into a cutting-edge platform designed to provide a secure environment for the development, testing and deployment of healthcare AI solutions”.
“One of the objectives of FLUTE is to validate the Federated Learning model in the treatment of prostate cancer – afferma Nicola GentiliData Unit coordinator of the IRST ‘Dino Amadori’ IRCCS and Principal Investigator of the FLUTE Project -. In addition to the clinical ones, there are also very important methodological purposes. In fact, the 11-member consortium includes both treatment centers and technological partners. Federated Learning is a collaborative Machine Learning technique capable of exploiting knowledge present in multiple databases, without the need to share it. In this way the data remains within the centers that own it, in total security, and is used to create a common predictive model, i.e. a shared algorithm”.
The 11 members of the consortium consist of three clinical and data partners from separate countries, three small and medium-sized technology companies, three technology research partners, one legal/ethical partner and one standards organization. The different skills of the consortium members will ensure a complete and effective implementation of the project. FLUTE partners are: Inria Lille – Northern Europe (France), which was entrusted with the role of project coordinator, Arteevo Technologies Ltd (Israel), Liège University Hospital Center (Belgium), Vall D’Hebron University Hospital Foundation – Research Institute (Spain), Gradient (Spain), HL7 International Foundation, Romagna Institute for the Study of Tumors ‘Dino Amadori’ – IRST IRCCS of Meldola (Italia), By whom (Spain), Technovative Solutions Ltd (United Kingdom), Time.Lex (Belgium), Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain). The project was formally launched during the consortium meeting which took place in Lille (France) on 5-6 July 2023.
The global incidence of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed in men, with approximately 1.4 million diagnoses globally in 2020. Studies show that the prevalence of prostate cancer increases with age, ranging from 5% in those under 30 59% in those over 79. The frequency of prostate cancer varies according to different ethnic contexts and geographical areas.
The incidence of prostate cancer diagnosis is influenced by certain factors such as PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing rates and screening recommendations. Incidence rates are highest in Australia/New Zealand, North America, Western Europe, and Northern Europe, and lowest in East and South-Central Asia. Mortality rates globally show relatively less variation, with higher rates seen in populations of African descent and lower rates in Asia. Overall, prostate cancer mortality has declined in most Western countries, but the extent of the reduction varies from country to country. For this reason it is essential to develop tools to support clinicians in the diagnosis process.
The FLUTE project: contribution to the HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource) standard and to the GDPR (Data Protection Regulation)
A fundamental aspect of the FLUTE project is the commitment to the global development of the HL7 FHIR standard, a new generation interoperability standard designed to facilitate fast and efficient exchange of clinical and administrative health data. The objective is to contribute to the improvement and dissemination of the FHIR standard. Furthermore, the project will establish new guidelines for GDPR-compliant cross-border Federated Learning in the healthcare sector, ensuring regulatory compliance and data protection.
The project on the Cordis portal of the European Commission