University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has launched a clinical trial using artificial intelligence to support early detection of lung cancer by enhancing chest X-ray review.

The Cleveland-based academic medical center is working with Mumbai-headquartered Qure.ai to assess qXR-LN, an FDA-cleared AI tool developed to flag potential lung nodules on chest X-rays. The AI will act as a secondary reviewer, with results compared to radiologist interpretations to evaluate its ability to detect early-stage disease.

“Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States,” said Dr. Amit Gupta, division chief of cardiothoracic imaging and modality director of diagnostic radiography at University Hospitals. “One way to enhance lung cancer detection is by identifying early-stage lung nodules and cancers incidentally when patients undergo chest X-rays for other medical reasons during hospital admissions.”
Despite guidelines recommending low-dose CT scans for high-risk individuals, such as smokers and former smokers, screening rates remain low, with only about 16% of eligible patients receiving CT-based lung screening, Gupta noted.

The trial will focus on evaluating whether the AI can help identify pulmonary nodules ranging from 6 to 30 millimeters in size that may otherwise go unnoticed. Researchers will measure the impact of the technology on follow-up imaging, biopsy rates, and early lung cancer diagnoses.

“AI serves as an additional set of eyes for radiologists, enhancing detection by flagging lung nodules that may require further evaluation,” Gupta said. “The hope is that this clinical trial will not only advance early detection but also drive meaningful transformation in lung cancer surveillance.”

Samir Shah, chief medical officer at Qure.ai, added that the collaboration offers a chance to “cast a wider net” in lung cancer identification.

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