Accenture reveals data science project for paediatric leukaemia

Accenture Applied Intelligence announced a new data and analytics approach to manage and derive insights from paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) genomic data, with the potential to improve precision medicine.

The large-scale project, undertaken in collaboration with researchers and clinicians from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Fred Hutch) and the Target Padiatric AML (TpAML) computational working group aims to enable paediatric oncology physicians and researchers to better analyse patient clinical trial and genetic data.

Accenture data scientists, in collaboration with investigators from TpAML led by Dr Soheil Meshinchi at Fred Hutch, collected and standardised genomic and clinical data from over 2,000 children with AML who had been treated in clinical trials.

This included compiling RNA data, as well as other data points such as patient demographics, clinical treatment arm and patient diagnosis. TpMAL investigators provided access to the sequencing data and guidance on key data points, that can define a patient’s response to a particular treatment at the time of diagnosis.

According to Accenture, these insights have the potential to inform the recommended course of treatment, by providing patients and physicians a more robust view of likely clinical success and side effects, based on an individual’s genetic makeup and medical history.

In particular, this method may provide a more informed pathway to improved precision medicine use for paediatric AML, wherein a therapy may be modified based on a patient’s predicted response to standard therapy.

“For years, patients diagnosed with a disease often received the same treatment. And for some people, that treatment worked. However, for others, it did not work – or did so only marginally, or with serious side effects,” said Stuart Henderson, global Life Sciences lead for Accenture.

“With genome mapping, in combination with new analytical, scientific and technological advances, it is possible to develop targeted, more precise, personalised treatments for individuals or similar patient populations.

“Precision oncology is delivering on the promise of better patient care and health outcomes in remarkable ways and we look forward to seeing more projects like this TpAML investigation,” he added.