An innovative artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by Indian company Qure.ai is set for trials in NHS hospitals, expected to halve the time required for lung cancer diagnosis. The system, which uses AI to scrutinize chest X-rays, is projected to expedite treatment for many by focusing on more salient cases and thus accelerating the process from the first X-ray to diagnosis from 60 to 30 days.
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“This has the potential to help huge numbers of people in the UK every year,” said Nick Woznitza of Canterbury Christ Church University.
The technology identifies suspicious lung nodules within minutes, expediting the path to a more detailed CT scan and diagnosis. Patients wait approximately two days for X-ray results and then need to schedule a separate CT scan if a cancer risk is detected.
Early diagnosis can make a significant difference for the thousands of patients diagnosed with lung cancer each year, with a third dying within 90 days of detection.
The AI system, funded by a £ 3.2 million NHS grant from SBRI Healthcare, will be piloted in seven hospitals until June 2023.
