AI Better for Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Quantification in Melanoma Than Traditional Methods
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 8, 2025 -- For tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) quantification in melanoma, an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm demonstrates superior reproducibility and prognostic associations compared with traditional methods, according to a study published online July 3 in JAMA Network Open.
Thazin N. Aung, Ph.D., from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues examined the analytical and clinical validity of a machine learning algorithm for TIL quantification in melanoma compared to traditional pathologist-read methods. The study used retrospective cohorts of patients with melanoma across 45 institutions between January 2022 and June 2023.
A total of 111 patients with melanoma were included in the independent testing cohort and contributed melanoma whole-tissue sections. TILs on 60 hematoxylin and eosin-stained melanoma tissue sections were evaluated by 98 participants; all 40 in the manual arm were pathologists, while 11 pathologists and 47 nonpathologists were included in the AI-assisted arm. The researchers found that superior reproducibility was demonstrated by the AI algorithm, with intraclass correlation coefficients higher than 0.90 for all machine learning TIL variables, which significantly outperformed manual assessments. Prognostic associations with patient outcomes were seen for AI-based TIL scores, with a hazard ratio of 0.45 and 0.56 using the median cutoff approach and the cutoff of 16.6, respectively.
"While traditional pathologist-read TIL evaluations offer valuable insights, our findings indicated that an advanced AI tool enhanced reproducibility of TIL scoring and improved prognostic potential," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
Firefighters Face Elevated Mortality Rates for Skin and Kidney Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- Occupation as a firefighter is associated with elevated cancer mortality, especially for skin and kidney cancer, according to a study published online July...
Presurgical Immunotherapy Offers Long-Term Benefit in Melanoma
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- Neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) followed by adjuvant treatment with nivolumab and relatlimab offers long-term benefit in adults with stage III/IV...
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Affordability Tied to Widening Survival Disparity
FRIDAY, July 11, 2025 -- The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was associated with a widening survival disparity between those with private insurance and those...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.