Panaji: Of the 33,149 scans done under the Lung Cancer Early Detection Project of the state government, 139 cases were found with suspected nodules while only one case was detected positive for lung cancer.
The project is an initiative of AstraZeneca India Pharma Limited and the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), in collaboration with Qure.AI.
As part of the project, launched on February 7, 2024, AI based chest X-ray technology is used to detect the lung nodules.
“The project aims to increase survival rates by screening and early detection of lung diseases, through early diagnosis and detection of lung diseases through AI interpretation of digital chest X-ray and follow-up chest CT scans,” said Dr Kedar Raikar, Nodal Officer, Non-Communicable Diseases Cell (NCDC), DHS.
The AI based chest X-ray interpretation tool (Qure.ai) will identify lung nodules with assigned malignancy scores, which are predominantly the precursors of lung cancer. This X-ray based AI tool is accessible, affordable, scalable and adopted in the healthcare system as a lung cancer screening tool.
The qXR is currently deployed at 17 health centers having digital X-rays with internet facilities on-cloud at North Goa District Hospital, South Goa District Hospital, Sub-District Hospital, Ponda, Sub-District Hospital, Chicalim, CHC Valpoi, CHC Pernem, CHC Canacona, CHC Curchorem, CHC Bicholim, CHC Sankhali, PHC Shiroda, PHC Aldona, PHC Quepem, PHC Balli, PHC Dharbandora, PHC Cansarvarnem and PHC Sanguem.
“All patients referred for the chest X-rays (CXRs) will be uploaded on cloud through AWS gateway for interpretation,” he said.
The patients with high-risk nodules will be referred for confirmation of lung cancer through LDCT/CT/biopsy,” he said.
