AI Lung Cancer Tool Hits 5M Scans, Expands Detection in 20 Nations

AstraZeneca, in partnership with health-tech company Qure.ai, recently announced the successful completion of 5 million artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled chest X-rays (CXRs) across more than 20 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. This milestone—part of AstraZeneca's commitment to the World Economic Forum’s EDISON Alliance 1 Billion Lives Challenge—demonstrates the potential of AI in improving lung cancer detection, particularly in resource-limited healthcare settings.

A Scalable AI Solution for Global Health Equity

The AI-enabled CXRs identified high-risk lung nodules in nearly 50,000 individuals, prompting referrals for further testing and potential diagnoses.

The EDISON Alliance's 1 Billion Lives Challenge, launched in 2022, aims to improve 1 billion lives through digital access to healthcare, education, and financial services. AstraZeneca supports this initiative as part of its A.Catalyst Network—its global innovation platform designed to accelerate real-world healthcare solutions.

In 2020, AstraZeneca partnered with Qure.ai under the A.Catalyst Network to deploy Qure.ai’s qXR® technology to assess CXRs and determine lung cancer risk. This collaboration unites stakeholders across geographies to apply AI in routine X-ray assessments, helping healthcare professionals focus on patients needing further evaluation, such as low-dose CT scans. The solution is especially effective in low-resource settings, optimizing use of equipment and ensuring high-risk individuals receive timely attention.

Partnerships Driving Real-World Impact

“Reaching this milestone underscores our commitment to early detection—the first step toward improved patient outcomes,” said Ti Hwei How, Vice President, International Oncology, AstraZeneca. “Our work with Qure.ai validates AI-enabled chest X-rays as a cost-effective triaging tool. Success in countries like Colombia, El Salvador, and India shows the model can scale. We’re now collaborating with Ministries of Health and policymakers to prioritize AI-based screening programs.”

"This partnership illustrates the EDISON Alliance’s mission to address healthcare challenges through digital innovation,” said Cindy Hoots, Chief Digital Officer and CIO, AstraZeneca. “It shows how collaboration can accelerate delivery of life-saving technologies in underserved regions.”

Evidence-Based Innovation in Early Lung Cancer Detection

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. While mortality rates decline in high-income countries, they continue to rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Early detection plays a key role in reducing deaths by identifying treatable cases sooner.

“Five million scans globally is a significant achievement,” said Prashant Warier, CEO and Founder, Qure.ai. “Our partnership with AstraZeneca has enabled early adoption and scalability of our AI solutions, helping integrate them into national health systems and deliver timely diagnoses to more patients.”

This milestone contributes to growing evidence supporting AI-enabled CXR triaging in resource-stratified screening strategies. At the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2025, data showed that qXR® could detect high-risk lung nodules in 54.1% of cases and is cost-effective, based on modeling in Vietnam’s healthcare system.