Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death, with around 1.8 million lives lost around the world each year. It is often diagnosed at a later stage when treatment is less likely to succeed.
But researchers worldwide hope that using AI to support lung cancer screening could make the process quicker and more efficient, and ultimately help diagnose more patients at an early stage.
Computerised tomography, or CT scans, are already used to spot signs of lung tumours, followed by a biopsy or surgery to confirm whether the tumour is malignant. However, each scan involves an expert radiologist examining around 300 images and looking for signs of cancer that can be small.
Trials using CT scans to screen people with a high risk of lung cancer have shown promise, but screening is hindered by the practical difficulty of a radiologist reviewing each image, one at a time, to determine who needs further tests.
Researcher Benoît Audelan said: “Screening for...