Optimized models and deep learning methods for drug response prediction in cancer treatments: a review

Abstract

Recent advancements in deep learning (DL) have played a crucial role in aiding experts to develop personalized healthcare services, particularly in drug response prediction (DRP) for cancer patients. The DL’s techniques contribution to this field is significant, and they have proven indispensable in the medical field. This review aims to analyze the diverse effectiveness of various DL models in making these predictions, drawing on research published from 2017 to 2023. We utilized the VOS-Viewer 1.6.18 software to create a word cloud from the titles and abstracts of the selected studies. This study offers insights into the focus areas within DL models used for drug response. The word cloud revealed a strong link between certain keywords and grouped themes, highlighting terms such as deep learning, machine learning, precision medicine, precision oncology, drug response prediction, and personalized medicine. In order to achieve an advance in DRP using DL, the researchers need to work on enhancing the models’ generalizability and interoperability. It is also crucial to develop models that not only accurately represent various architectures but also simplify these architectures, balancing the complexity with the predictive capabilities. In the future, researchers should try to combine methods that make DL models easier to understand; this will make DRP reviews more open and help doctors trust the decisions made by DL models in cancer DRP.