Value of artificial intelligence in neuro-oncology.

Journal: The Lancet. Digital health
Published Date: Aug 8, 2025

Abstract

CNS cancers are complex, difficult-to-treat malignancies that remain insufficiently understood and mostly incurable, despite decades of research efforts. Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape neuro-oncological practice and research, driving advances in medical image analysis, neuro-molecular-genetic characterisation, biomarker discovery, therapeutic target identification, tailored management strategies, and neurorehabilitation. This Review examines key opportunities and challenges associated with AI applications along the neuro-oncological care trajectory. We highlight emerging trends in foundation models, biophysical modelling, synthetic data, and drug development and discuss regulatory, operational, and ethical hurdles across data, translation, and implementation gaps. Near-term clinical translation depends on scaling validated AI solutions for well defined clinical tasks. In contrast, more experimental AI solutions offer broader potential but require technical refinement and resolution of data and regulatory challenges. Addressing both general and neuro-oncology-specific issues is essential to unlock the full potential of AI and ensure its responsible, effective, and needs-based integration into neuro-oncological practice.

Authors

  • Sebastian Voigtlaender
    Systems Neuroscience Division, Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.
  • Thomas A Nelson
    Division of Neuro-Oncology, Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Clinical Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
  • Philipp Karschnia
    Department of Neurosurgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University and University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany.
  • Eugene J Vaios
    Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
  • Michelle M Kim
    Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
  • Philipp Lohmann
    Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich, Germany.
  • Norbert Galldiks
    Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3, -4), Research Center Juelich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Juelich, Germany.
  • Mariella G Filbin
    Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
  • Shekoofeh Azizi
  • Vivek Natarajan
    Google, Mountain View, CA, USA.
  • Michelle Monje
    Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
  • Jorg Dietrich
    Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
  • Sebastian F Winter
    Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. sfwinter@mgh.harvard.edu.

Keywords

No keywords available for this article.

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals