Every year, approximately 2 billion chest X-rays are performed around the world. They are affordable, quick, and often used in frontline healthcare to efficiently survey for abnormalities such as pneumonia, heart failure, or a suspected rib injury.
Today, everyday X-rays can do something even more powerful: save lives, empowered by healthcare Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI-augmented radiographic surveillance can help physicians “opportunistically detect” early signs of lung cancer, often prior to any symptoms appearing.
What is the incidental detection of lung nodules?
At times, patients will need to have an X-ray taken for symptoms such as cough or chest pain. Perhaps because they’ve experienced a traumatic injury, or because their physician wants to rule out pneumonia. But hidden in those scans could be something unexpected: a small white spot called a lung nodule.
“A lung nodule is a small, solid, rounded mass of tissue in the lungs that can be seen on a chest X-ray or CT scan,” explained Dr. Samir Shah, an interventional radiologist and chief medical officer at Qure.ai. “Most nodules are harmless. But some can be early signs of lung cancer.”
The earlier these nodules are found, the easier it is to treat them. And that’s where AI comes in.
An extra pair of eyes for radiologists
AI tools like qXR from Qure.ai work alongside clinicians by scanning chest X-rays for signs of trouble. In many cases, they can spot tiny nodules that the human eye might not see or prioritize, especially when the procedure wasn’t taken to look for cancer in the first place.
qXR-LN is an FDA-cleared solution to assist physicians with early nodule detection. Studies have shown that AI is highly dependable, acting like a second set of tireless eyes that rarely misses something important, which can be potentially lifesaving for patients.
Diane’s story
One of those individuals is Diane, a 60-year-old mother and grandmother. She went to her physician with a persistent cough and was sent for a chest X-ray. Nothing urgent was expected. But after her scan was analyzed by AI, a tiny nodule was flagged.
That simple step changed everything.
Diane was quickly sent for more tests. Within days, physicians confirmed that the nodule was an early-stage lung cancer. Just eight weeks later, she had surgery to remove the tumor. And because it was found early, she had more treatment options and a better chance at recovery.
“Having the AI enhancement at the beginning of the process is lifesaving really,” Diane said. “Who knows how it might have turned out without this AI.”
Why this matters
In the United States, fewer than 16% of eligible patients get screened for lung cancer with specialized low-dose CT scans. That leaves a huge gap in detection, and a major opportunity. If more health systems used AI to check routine chest X-rays for nodules, it could help flag cancer earlier, even in people who don’t yet feel unwell.
The best part? This can be done without a requirement for expensive new machines to be purchased or for complex healthcare changes to be enacted. It simply means using technology to make better use of scans that are already being taken.
For patients like Diane and many others, it shows what’s possible when AI technology and medicine work hand-in-hand.
Detecting early saves lives
AI is not replacing physicians; it’s supporting them. And when it comes to something as serious as lung cancer, getting that extra help could be the reason that someone gets a second chance.
