Hospital Sisters Health System says new artificial intelligence tools are helping doctors catch lung cancer earlier, sometimes before patients even know anything is wrong.

HSHS is using technology from Eon Health, an AI platform that scans radiologists’ notes and flags anything unusual that wasn’t the original reason for the scan. Those “incidental findings” are helping doctors diagnose lung cancer at much earlier stages.

Early detection is critical. The American Cancer Society says lung cancer has a five-year survival rate of just 27 percent. But when it’s caught early, that number jumps to 67 percent.

Branden Richardson, HSHS System Director of Radiology, says the technology is making a real difference. He says patients are being diagnosed earlier and faster, and that combining HSHS’ care with the AI platform is “a game-changer.”

Since HSHS began using the system in March of 2022, about one in every thousand patients with incidental findings has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Officials say they’ve seen it work at both large hospitals and smaller rural facilities.

At HSHS St. John’s in Springfield, a scan originally ordered to look for blood clots uncovered lung nodules that later tested positive for cancer. At St. Elizabeth’s in O’Fallon, AI flagged two nodules that were also confirmed to be cancerous after follow-up tests, and at HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville, the system caught an eight-millimeter nodule during treatment for a fall, a nodule that later proved to be cancer.

HSHS says early detection can mean more effective and less invasive treatment options for patients. Anyone concerned about their risk is encouraged to talk with their primary care provider about lung cancer screening. After receiving a referral, appointments can be made at HSHS locations by calling 217-757-6565.

More information is available at HSHS.org.