AstraZeneca and health-tech company Qure.ai have completed the risk assessment of 5 million artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled chest X-rays (CXRs) across more than 20 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
“The AI-enabled CXRs revealed important findings, including lung nodules at high risk for cancer in nearly 50,000 people – prompting their referral for further testing and possible diagnosis,” a note on behalf of the companies said.
The milestone is part of AstraZeneca’s commitment to the World Economic Forum’s EDISON Alliance 1 Billion Lives Challenge to demonstrate the potential of AI in improving lung cancer detection, especially within resource-limited healthcare settings.
The EDISON Alliance’s 1 Billion Lives Challenge, launched in 2022, aims to improve one billion lives through digital access to healthcare, education, and financial services.
In 2020, AstraZeneca partnered with Qure.ai to leverage its technology for assessing chest X-rays and determining potential lung cancer risk. Ti Hwei How, AZ Vice President (International Oncology), said in a statement, that the collaboration “validated the power of AI-enabled chest X-rays as a cost-effective triaging tool for early lung cancer detection. With successful implementation in countries such as Colombia, El Salvador and India, we are setting the stage for scaling this approach. We are actively partnering with Ministries of Health and policymakers to prioritise lung health and lung cancer on national agendas, including through AI-enabled screening programs to make a real difference.”
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide While mortality rates are generally declining in high-income countries, they are rising in low-and-middle income countries, the statement read. Early detection through screening plays a critical role in reducing lung cancer deaths by diagnosing more lung cancers at an early stage when they are still curable, it added.
“Five million scans globally is a significant achievement, demonstrating the scalability and effectiveness of AI in improving lung cancer screening in resource-limited settings” said Prashant Warier, CEO and Founder, Qure.ai.