AI Spots Lung Cancer Risk in 50,000 People Across 20 Nations

A new technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) has screened over 5 million chest x-rays across 20 countries, helping detect early signs of lung cancer risk in approximately 50,000 people. This low-cost method could allow doctors to identify cancer earlier and improve patient outcomes.

How It Works

This breakthrough approach utilizes machine learning to analyze imaging data, allowing physicians to identify lung cancer risk long before symptoms appear. The AI tool analyzes chest X-rays in conjunction with patient medical history to identify patterns that may indicate lung cancer risk.

This screening process uses Qure.ai’s algorithm, qXR, which identifies abnormalities in chest images and flags potential high-risk cases. These findings can be followed by diagnostic tests such as CT scans.

Who’s Behind It

The AI algorithm was developed through a collaboration between AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company known for oncology treatments, and Qure.ai, an Indian health-tech company specializing in AI tools for early detection and healthcare accessibility.

Global Scope

X-rays were analyzed from regions including Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, where the tool helped detect signs of lung cancer and associated risks.

Quotes and Clinical Insights

“During this process, we identify a large number of patients up to 4 months earlier, and these are the current cases,” said Martijn Schut, Professor of Translational Artificial Intelligence at Amsterdam UMC.

Research data from over half a million patients shows that general practitioners (GPs) may soon be able to identify high-risk lung cancer patients earlier—during routine consultation programs.

The effectiveness of qXR as a frontline screening tool was demonstrated by a recent study that was presented at the European Lung cancer 2025 and revealed that it was able to identify High-risk nodules in 54.1% of cases 

Future Applications

This method may also be adapted for detecting other cancers that often remain hidden until advanced stages, such as pancreatic, stomach, or ovarian cancer. Currently, most lung cancer cases are diagnosed at stage 3 or 4, and 70–80% of these patients die within a year.

Prashant Warier, CEO of Qureshi.ai, stated that this partnership has aided in the expansion of their AI technology in actual clinical settings.

"This milestone demonstrates how AI can strengthen system through faster diagnosis and close the gap in healthcare access," he said.

Conclusion

For patients, the goal is longer life and improved quality of life at lower healthcare costs. Research indicates that even a four-week earlier diagnosis significantly improves prognosis.

(Rehash/Rakshit Chauhan)