The AI-based Tumor Board: A Multi-agent approach to finding cancer treatments with AI.

Every week, 30 of Europe’s leading experts in Leukemia and Lymphoma gather online for the International Leukemia/Lymphoma Tumor Board (iLTB). Their mission is crucial: to tackle some of the most complex and treatment-resistant pediatric leukemia and lymphoma cases across Europe. This multidisciplinary team is composed of specialists in immunotherapy, genetics, molecular biology, clinical trials, and cellular therapies who work together to identify life-saving treatment plans for these children.

During these meetings, physicians present their patient’s profiles, including details on prior treatments, relapses, genetic findings, and immunophenotyping results. Given that many patients already have undergone multiple lines of therapy, figuring out the optimal treatment plan requires the combined knowledge of the panel of experts. After each case presentation, the board engages in an in-depth discussion to come up with a personalized and evidence-based treatment plan for each patient. These decisions aren’t just academic exercises — they’re often the last hope for children who have run out of treatment options.

To support the iLTB, ML6 developed the AI-based Tumor Board (AITB). The AITB is an AI-powered tool that uses specialized AI agents to analyze and discuss patient’s cases prior to the actual Tumor board meeting. By providing each AI agent with pre-screened scientific literature and clinical trial data for each case, the AITB can simulate case discussions and produce a detailed report highlighting key discussion points, insights, and potential treatment options. By offering an overview of available therapies and rationale before the live case review, the AITB aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the tumor board’s decision-making process, potentially leading to better decision-making and better patient outcomes.

The integration of the AI-based Tumor Board into the iLTB’s workflow could offer significant advantages. By leveraging AI to go through academic papers and the latest clinical trial data, the AITB ensures that treatment recommendations are grounded in the most recent evidence. Additionally, the AITB can introduce new perspectives by suggesting treatment options that might otherwise be overlooked or not immediately apparent to the specialists. Finally, the AI-led TB allows the iLTB expert panel to better prepare for each meeting and save precious time, allowing them to focus on what truly matters: making life-saving decisions for their patients

How Does the AI-based Tumor Board Work?

At its core, the AI-led Tumor Board operates as a multi-agent system — think of it as a team of virtual specialists, much like the human experts in the actual tumor board. Using knowledge from medical literature, the AI agents work together to analyze a patient’s case. But before we explore how these AI agents collaborate, let’s start by understanding what defines a single AI agent.