Doctors at The Christ Hospital in Ohio are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance imaging for early cancer detection, a tool one patient says saved his life.
Mark Olding initially thought he had a sinus infection, but an X-ray revealed a nodule. A follow-up CT scan analyzed by AI flagged unusual characteristics in the lesion, which was later confirmed as lung cancer.
“It was amazing because I never had any inclination it was in my lung,” Olding said. “If it wasn’t for the AI, I don’t think anybody would have picked up on it.”
Krystal Asher, nurse navigator of the Lung Cancer Program at The Christ Hospital, explained that the AI program is applied to all appropriate imaging.
“Anytime there’s a scan that’s run through the hospital, it’s run through this program, and we get an alert if a patient has a nodule,” Asher said.
Olding underwent surgery to remove the nodule, detected at less than stage one—a crucial early finding that contributed to his continued health. “I just went for a checkup last week for my next CT scan, and it came back all clear, so it looks like everything is good,” he said.
The AI program also targets individuals eligible for lung screenings due to smoking history, although Olding does not have such a history.
“Asher noted, “We’re essentially curing patients. Before this AI program, we detected about 56% of lung cancers early; now that number has risen to roughly 70%.”
Patients can consult their primary care providers to determine eligibility for the National Lung Screening Program, which provides yearly screenings at no cost.
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