Artificial intelligence and robotics are being deployed in a new scheme to improve lung cancer detection, a development described by experts as “a glimpse of the future of cancer detection.” The initiative coincides with plans to expand lung cancer screening across the National Health Service (NHS), with all eligible individuals expected to be invited for their first check by 2030.
AI-Assisted Screening and Robotic Biopsies
The expanded screening program will utilize AI software to analyze lung scans, specifically flagging potentially cancerous growths known as nodules. Alongside this, a robotic catheter – a thin tube inserted through the throat – will be used to obtain precise biopsies from these nodules for laboratory analysis to confirm or rule out cancer.
This robotic system is capable of reaching nodules as small as six millimeters, which can be difficult to detect through standard screening methods and challenging for doctors to biopsy. Currently, when such small nodules are identified, patients often require follow-up scans to monitor for growth, potentially delaying diagnosis.
Specialists at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have already utilized robotic biopsies on 300 patients, with 215 subsequently receiving cancer treatment. A new pilot program will involve an additional 250 patients, with hopes that the procedure will be adopted by other NHS trusts.
Implications for Early Detection
Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, resulting in more than 49,000 new diagnoses and approximately 33,000 deaths annually. Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, stated that screening is already leading to earlier diagnoses, and the new pilot program will facilitate “faster, more accurate biopsies.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who himself underwent robotic surgery for kidney cancer and credited the NHS treatment with saving his life, believes the pilot program will enable earlier detection and “replacing weeks of invasive testing with a single targeted procedure.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the new lung cancer screening program?
The program aims to expand lung cancer screening to all eligible individuals by 2030, utilizing AI to analyze scans and robotic technology to obtain biopsies for more accurate diagnoses.
How does the robotic biopsy system improve upon existing methods?
The robotic system can reach smaller nodules, as small as six millimeters, that are often difficult to access with traditional biopsy techniques, potentially leading to earlier detection.
How many patients have already benefited from the robotic biopsy procedure?
Specialists at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have already used robotic biopsies on 300 patients, with 215 of those patients going on to receive cancer treatment.
As this technology is piloted and potentially adopted more widely, will it fundamentally change the way lung cancer is detected and treated in the UK?
