True Love and Science Inspire a Cancer-Fighting Algorithm
Using a computerized solution, a Rutgers researcher has found a potential predictor of treatment response for prostate cancer
What do you do when you want to dedicate your life to fighting cancer, but a life change means you can’t afford medical school? When Antonina Mitrofanova learned she couldn’t become an oncologist, she changed majors – to computer science – so she could fight cancer with big data.
Now a pioneer in the emerging field of biomedical informatics, Mitrofanova, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Health Professions and a research member of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, has developed an algorithm that predicts how prostate cancer patients will respond to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). ADT is an antihormone therapy used in treating prostate cancer that reduces levels of androgen hormones and prevents cancer cells from growing.
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