Accenture, a renowned professional services company, has reportedly announced that it developed a data and analytics approach to derive and manage insights from the genomic data of pediatric AML (acute myeloid leukemia).

Working alongside clinicians and researchers from the Fred Hutch (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), as well as the  TpAML (Target Pediatric AML) computational group, a research project that provided data, the new approach looks to enable pediatric oncology researchers and physicians, particularly the ones focused over pediatric AML, to analyze patient genetic and clinical trial data, with the capability to enhance precision medicine.

Together with the investigators from TpAML, who are led by Fred Hutch’s Dr. Soheil Meshinchi, the company’s data scientists standardized and aggregated anonymized clinical and genetic data from more than 2,000 children suffering from AML, that were treated in clinical trials. Just the RNA data, which is among the most crucial indicators of therapy results in precision medicine, amounts for more than 48,000 columns for each patient if it is stored in a standard table format.

In addition, if this data is integrated with other related data points like clinical treatment arm, patient demographics, and prognosis, the sheer variety and volume of combinations present a daunting challenge to compare patient outcomes and profiles at scale.

Accenture Applied Intelligence Managing Director, Joe Depa stated that the company’s data scientists who collaborated with TpAML team had the genomic and clinical background knowledge to start with the work. The company models such partnerships in all of its engagements so that it can have the potential to forecast challenges and resolve them rapidly.

Depa further added that especially in case of this partnership, the company is thrilled that it was able to use the power of analytics and data to make the information more accessible for the researchers, further enhancing precision medicine and offering a helping hand that would improve people’s lives.

Source credit: https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/accenture-puts-data-science-to-work-for-pediatric-leukemia-research.htm