Introductory remarks to the Conference on Prognostic Factors and Staging in Cancer Management: Contributions of Artificial Neural Networks and Other Statistical Methods.

Received December 30, 1999; accepted March 15, 2000. This conference on artificial neural networks (ANNs) provided an opportunity to explore current and future strategies for the prediction of outcomes for patients with prostate carcinoma. For example, it is necessary to improve the selection process for prostate biopsy for a patient with clinical factors that raise the suspicion of prostate carcinoma and provide greater precision about possible outcomes after treatment. This paper provides an overview of the role that ANNs may play in the larger picture of prostate carcinoma prognostication. It also presents personal insights garnered from over a decade of clinical experience with staging questions for patients with prostate carcinoma.