AstraZeneca Unveils AI Data for Lung Cancer, Focuses on Affordable Care

At the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2025, AstraZeneca showcased new research that showed how artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance lung cancer risk detection, particularly in healthcare settings with limited resources. The business investigates the potential of AI technologies to enhance early-stage disease detection in collaboration with Qure.ai.

In contrast to a radiologist's evaluation utilizing the gold standard imaging modality, a low-dose CT scan, the CREATE study used Qure.AI's qXR-LNMS tool to generate real-world data showing its efficacy in predicting the likelihood of malignancy of incidental pulmonary nodules on a chest X-ray. Using Vietnam as the model nation, the CREATE Budget Impact Model separately shows that incorporating qXR into a clinical workflow might be cost-neutral by year five.

In settings with limited resources, these results imply that AI-integrated CXR could be utilized as a prelude to LDCT in order to identify the most at-risk individuals and maximize the cost-effectiveness of screening initiatives.Lung cancer ranks fourth in India for cancer-related deaths, and it is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths globally.  The gold standard for screening for lung cancer is low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), however in a low-middle income nation like India, its usage is restricted by its cost and accessibility. The most popular, reasonably priced, and easily evaluable triaging tool in settings with limited resources is a chest X-ray (CXR), which is a useful prelude to LDCT.

“To transform patient care and with the aim of eliminating cancer as a cause of death, we must address the significant and disproportionate burden in low- and middle-income countries and resource-limited settings via tailored and scalable solutions,” said Iskra Reic, executive vice president (EVP), International, AstraZeneca.