AstraZeneca collaborates with Telangana health dept for AI lung screening

AstraZeneca Pharma India has partnered with the Telangana State Health Department to implement AI-powered lung cancer screening in 20 government hospitals. The initiative aims for early detection, triaging high-risk patients, and improving lung health outcomes in both urban and rural areas.

Hyderabad: Pharma manufacturer AstraZeneca Pharma India on Tuesday announced a collaboration with the State health department to offer AI-enabled lung cancer screening facilities to patients in government hospitals of Telangana.

Aimed at early detection of lung ailments and improving outcomes in rural and urban areas, the pharma manufacturer has entered into an MoU with the Health and Family Welfare department to facilitate the deployment of Qure.ai’s AI-powered chest X-ray solution to be integrated into routine workflows at public health facilities.

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The technology will help doctors flag high-risk pulmonary nodules, a predominant precursor of lung cancer, along with 29 other lung conditions. The high-risk patients will be triaged for lung cancer confirmation or future follow-up to ensure stage-shift of lung cancer at diagnosis. A similar model has already been adopted in Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

The initiative is expected to roll out across 20 government hospitals, covering urban and rural health systems.