AI and robots to catch lung cancer much earlier

Pilot to run alongside expanded screening

- BY HANNA GEISSLER Health Editor

Fraser demonstrates AI and robot tech being used by NHS England

(STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA)

PATIENTS with suspected lung cancer could be diagnosed or have the disease ruled out faster under a NHS pilot that combines artificial intelligence with robotic tech.

Officials hailed the project as “a glimpse of the future of cancer detection”.

It comes alongside NHS plans to expand lung cancer screening, with all eligible people invited for their first check by 2030.

The pilot, led by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, will use AI software to analyse lung scans and flag suspicious spots, known as nodules.

Doctors then use a robotic catheter — a thin tube inserted via the throat — to take biopsies from the nodule, which are then analysed to diagnose or rule out cancer.

The robotic system can reach spots as small as 6mm, which are often hidden deep in the lung.