AI technology helping detect lung cancer to be trialled across Scotland

AI technology which helps detect lung cancer faster is set to be trialled across Scotland after promising results in Grampian.

Diagnostic care for lung cancer has already improved across the North East region thanks to the use of innovative AI technology that scans x-ray images for more than 120 potential issues.

Although every image is still reviewed by a radiologist, the AI identifies any scans with possible signs of lung cancer so they can be fast-tracked for review.

The early results are now being used to help shape a national rollout of AI in lung cancer care.

The Annalise CXR software is being used in all chest x-ray reporting across Grampian as part of the health board’s Innovation Hub’s GRACE project.

NHS Grampian is working alongside the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway team to examine whether this can be embedded across Scotland.

Consultant radiologist Dr Struan Wilkie said: “The number of referrals for urgent suspected cancer has increased by about 50% in the last five years across Grampian, across all specialties.

“While the number of confirmed cases remains relatively stable, this means there’s huge demand for diagnostic radiology services and our teams are using the latest innovations, tools and expertise to ensure patients are treated as quickly as possible.

“We see about 300 chest x-rays per day in Grampian alone and thousands across the country so using the same tech and lessons learned elsewhere has huge potential benefits for both patients and staff.

“As healthcare continues to become ever more specialised, as treatments and technologies evolve, so do the demands on staff. Used in the right way, AI can give us a helping hand but it can’t manage risk or take responsibility for patients, so there will always be a need for checks.”

The software was first introduced in 2022 across 13 sites in Grampian – the first UK use of the Annalise CXR algorithm by an NHS board – and has been regarded as a major success.

“Lung cancer remains the most common cancer in Scotland, and the most common cause of death from cancer. But it’s often a hidden killer. Many of our patients have chest x-rays for something else and then it’s picked up, so speeding up that detection process is invaluable,” Dr Wilkie added.

“Through the GRACE Project, we’re finding 12% more treatable cancers – which means we’re catching them earlier – and getting 95% of people through to treatment is taking us 30 days less. Aberdeen has a rich history of leading the way with imaging in healthcare and we’ve now demonstrated the potential this technology has to improve lung cancer outcomes across the NHS.”

Health secretary Neil Gray said: “The Scottish Government is clear that embracing innovation is absolutely vital as we seek to address current pressures and meet the challenges of the future.

“Artificial Intelligence is a key part of that, so I warmly welcome NHS Grampian’s adoption of this new tool which supports our ambitions for reducing cancer waiting times and improving outcomes. I look forward to seeing how we can learn lessons for the wider health service.”

The team is also exploring the potential of using the AI software to draft reports in cases where no abnormalities are seen.

Struan added: “This AI tech is really good at identifying when someone’s x-rays are normal so the auto drafting of some reports has huge potential too. This means we could more quickly review images for examinations with normal findings, giving us more time to spend reviewing the abnormal x-rays, which reduces the time a patient could wait for a report.”

Lorna Cameron, Programme Manager for Innovation at NHS Grampian said: “It has been fantastic to see our lung cancer diagnostics pathway improving, and now to be realising the potential this technology has to help us with major challenges like the increasing volume of referrals across Scotland.

“Here in Grampian, clinical staff review about 70,000 chest x-rays every year and among those there are 300 or so that will show a previously unknown lung cancer. This technology is helping us identify these ‘needles in a haystack’ as quickly as possible and accelerate people to treatment.

“Innovative technology has the potential to help us improve outcomes, make care more accessible and speed up service delivery. We’re grateful to busy teams across NHS Grampian who are helping us trial new technologies and support the workforce of the future.”

Anyone aware of emerging healthcare technologies that NHS Grampian may be able to evaluate for real world use can contact gram.innovation-hub@nhs.scot.