AI-guided robotic biopsy aims to refine prostate cancer care in Europe

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men globally, and incidence is high in many EU member states. Yet diagnosis remains challenging: around three million prostate biopsies are performed each year in Europe and the US, but the procedure is often imprecise. Manual tissue sampling combined with the limitations of the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) biomarker can lead to diagnostic errors exceeding 25%.

A key difficulty is mechanical and anatomical. A biopsy needle must be guided through soft tissue to a walnut-sized gland, targeting lesions that can be hard to visualize even on MRI. Small tumours can be missed, leading to false reassurance and delayed detection.

For years, the only definitive cure for many cases was complete prostate removal. While effective, it carries risks: between 5 and 20% of men can experience long-term incontinence or sexual dysfunction. As a result, many patients choose active surveillance, involving regular scans, blood tests and repeat biopsies.

As Professor Paolo Fiorini explains: “You have these two polar opposites; there is nothing in between. It’s an area where the natural limits of human judgment can lead to inconsistencies, and where robotics and artificial intelligence can make a real difference.”

The ROBIOSPY Project, rooted in medical robotics work at the University of Verona’s ALTAIR laboratory, aims to automate needle placement so biopsies and interventions better match imaging targets. Fiorini describes the motivation from early 2000s academic work that rarely translated into care: “Companies did their own research, while your technology just sat there in journals. Your research had no real-world impact.”

Funding from a European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition grant helped pivot from diagnosis-only to focal therapy. Instead of removing the entire prostate, focal therapy aims to burn or freeze only the tumour potentially preserving quality of life while keeping patients under surveillance. “Being able to bring this contribution of robotic support to intermediate therapy is the winning advantage,” says Fiorini.

As of 2026, the team plans calibration tests in the laboratory followed by final trials on cadavers as a safety step before clinical trials in patients. The project also highlights practical barriers, including deep-tech financing and scarce AI/robotics talent.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: DEEPSYNC