As per the American Cancer Society, over 200,000 individuals are expected to receive a diagnosis of lung cancer in the United States this month, with approximately 20% of them having no history of smoking.
There is optimism among researchers regarding the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to identify non-smokers at a high risk of developing lung cancer.
Massachusetts stands out as a leader in the field of lung cancer screening and diagnostic tests.
Anika S. Walia, the lead author of the study and a medical student at Boston University School of Medicine, along with being a researcher at Harvard Medical School and the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center (CIRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), highlighted the limitations of existing Medicare and USPSTF guidelines, which primarily focus on individuals with a significant smoking background. Despite this, the incidence of lung cancer among non-smokers is on the rise, often detected at advanced stages.
Although the prevalence of smoking has declined, it remains a critical public health concern.
In 2021, nearly 12 out of every 100 American adults aged 18 or older were smokers, marking a significant decrease from 2005 when the smoking rate was 20.9%.
For the 20% of lung cancer cases occurring in non-smokers, there exists a gap in services.
An AI tool designed for non-smokers that analyzes chest X-rays has emerged as a promising solution. This AI system can be trained to scan X-ray images for disease-related patterns.
Walia emphasized the simplicity of their approach, which requires a second chest X-ray image, a commonly used and easily accessible diagnostic test within electronic medical records.
The findings of the study are scheduled to be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
