Study shows AI-assisted risk model for lung nodules is cost-effective

Study shows AI-assisted risk model for lung nodules is cost-effective

https://news.vumc.org/2026/03/20/study-shows-ai-assisted-risk-model-for-lung-nodules-is-cost-effective/

Publish Date: 2026-03-20 12:41:00

Source Domain: news.vumc.org

Lung screenings are an important diagnostic tool for early detection of cancer, but low-dose CT scans cannot determine whether the pulmonary nodules identified in the imaging are cancerous or benign.

Specially trained radiologists, pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons analyze the imaging and then decide whether invasive biopsies are warranted to make that determination — a process called risk stratification of indeterminate pulmonary nodules.

An estimated 10% to 15% of the resections of these nodules turn out to be surgeries for benign tissue. Risk prediction software using artificial intelligence, such as the Lung Cancer Prediction Score, which was developed by Optellum, a lung health technology company, and approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2021, aids clinicians in determining whether surgical resections are necessary. In a recent study, Vanderbilt Health researchers determined that AI-assisted decision-making with this software is cost-effective compared to clinician assessment alone.

The study, published March 5 in PLOS ONE, showed that AI-assisted decision-making resulted in an incremental cost-effective ratio of $4,485 per life year gained.

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