Study reveals groundbreaking new AI can detect lung cancer earlier

The new artificially intelligent algorithm – in development since 2020 – has the means to determine whether or not abnormal growths found on CT scans are cancerous, the Guardian reported.

“In the future, we hope it will improve early detection and potentially make cancer treatment more successful by highlighting high-risk patients and fast-tracking them to earlier intervention,” said researcher Dr Benjamin Hunter, a clinical oncology registrar at the Royal Marsden NHS Trust.

In particular, the lungs of 500 patients were analysed in a published study on the impressive technology, the New York Post reports.

“According to these initial results, our model appears to identify cancerous large lung nodules accurately,” Dr Hunter said.

“Next, we plan to test the technology on patients with large lung nodules in clinic to see if it can accurately predict their risk of lung cancer.”

If success continues, this will also streamline the time it takes doctors to make critical decisions on proceeding with treatment – particularly with growths that are of medium risk – according to the outlet.

“Through this work, we hope to push boundaries to speed up the detection of the disease using innovative technologies such as AI,” chief study investigator Dr Richard Lee said.

“People diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stage are much more likely to survive for five years, when compared with those whose cancer is caught late,” he said.

Three years ago, Dr Lee explained that this study would also shed light on “subtle changes in patients” which could explain certain behavioural aspects of their conditions.

“This means it is a priority we find ways to speed up the detection of the disease, and this study, which is the first to develop a radiomics model specifically focused on large lung nodules, could one day support clinicians in identifying high-risk patients.”

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission