In an initiative that will screen patients for lung ailments, including cancer, the Karnataka government has inked an agreement with AstraZeneca Pharma India, to use artificial intelligence-based lung cancer screening technology.

The technology  developed by Qure.ai will screen a patient for 29 lung diseases from one chest X-ray. And the initiative would help 1.4 lakh patients across 19 district hospitals in the State, a joint note from the Government and AstraZeneca said.

Lung cancer is a silent disease and is often detected too late, said Dr Anil Kukreja, Vice President (Medical Affairs and Regulatory), AstraZeneca India. The AI-powered chest X-ray system will help early detection of lung nodules, often precursors to lung cancer, and the early detection would facilitate early medical intervention, Kukreja told businessline. Presently, there is national screening for blood, cervical and oral cancers, he said, but this would be a first for lung cancer.

AstraZeneca has a global collaboration with Qure.ai and their technology has been deployed in this initiative, he said. AstraZeneca is hopeful the one-year initiative with the Karnataka government generates enough learnings to be able to shape a national policy, he added. The mulitnational is talking to other states as well, for similar initiatives. The data generated remains with the hospitals, he said, clarifying that the company merely received an anonymised dashboard that helps assess the effectiveness of the programme. There is also no involvement of AstraZeneca’s medicines in this initiative, he added.

“Cancer can be treated with curative intent if detected early. We are bringing this technology in all our district hospitals across Karnataka, and we strongly believe that this will emerge as the most beneficial way of detecting lung cancer early and bringing down the financial and emotional burden of healthcare on patients especially who cannot afford even primary care”, Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, said in the statement.

Karnataka is seeing an increase in the incidence of cancer by about 1 percent, annually, in men and women, the note said. According to a study by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), cancer cases in Karnataka are expected to increase by 90,000 by 2025. In Bengaluru alone, the most common cancers in men are lung, stomach, esophagus, and prostate. In women, the most common cancers include breast, cervix and ovary.

AstraZeneca has a ‘Lung Ambition Alliance’ that brings together the different entities involved, including the technology providers, diagnostic companies (to test for biomarkers etc), explained Dr Kukreja.

The Karnataka initiative will help incidental detection of nodules earlier, improving early cancer diagnosis as AI based chest X-ray and low dose CT at the ground level, are integrated, said Dr Sanjeev Panchal, Managing Director and Country President, AstraZeneca India. The data collected will help the Government track and manage healthcare challenges, including pulmonary tuberculosis, the note said.

The district hospitals where the technology will be deployed include, those at Bagalkote, Vijayapura, Dharwad, Gadag, Chkkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Kalburgi, Ramanagaram, Tumkuru, Karwar, Udupi, Yadgiri, Haveri, Madikeri, Kolar, Koppal, Chigateri Hospital, Davanagere, Wenlock Hospital, Mangalore, K C General Hospital, Bangalore.

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