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Cancer Screening at ASCO, FDA Debuts AI, and DeepHealth AI Buy
June 5, 2025
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Together with
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“This wasn’t about AI as some distant promise. It was present in real conversations, influencing how we think about workflows, decision-making, and even what roles look like. It felt like we’re finally moving past pilots and proof-of-concepts. The system is starting to rewire itself – subtly, but deliberately.”
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Jan Beger of GE HealthCare, in an observation of the UKIO 2025 conference.
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The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting isn’t usually known for diagnostic radiology research. But this week’s conference in Chicago included a number of radiology-related studies, particularly regarding cancer screening.
Most ASCO meetings are dominated by new chemotherapy advances.
- But oncologists maintain a strong interest in cancer screening as the first step to guiding patients into advanced treatments.
At ASCO 2025, screening disparities were at the top of the agenda, as evidenced by the following presentations …
- Mobile mammography addressed healthcare disparities for both urban and rural women in a study that analyzed demographics from 8.3k women screened.
- Patients served by mobile mammography in Pennsylvania were more likely to be Black (68% vs. 40%), uninsured (71% vs. 2.1%), and live in an economically deprived area (70% vs. 27%), and they also had higher recall rates (19% vs. 9.9%) and twice the median days to case resolution (29 vs. 14 days).
- U.S. women who didn’t get mammography screening tended to be younger, uninsured, and have issues with medical costs.
- Farther afield, Uzbekistan’s new breast screening program was described, with 83.6k women screened and 80% of cancers detected at an early stage.
- The program also uses AI, with AI achieving higher AUC than a three-radiologist average (0.89 vs. 0.82) while reducing workload 41% with 3X lower recall.
- In Saudi Arabia, AI was used to audit mammography reports for quality and compliance with BI-RADS guidelines.
- A virtual-first approach in California successfully reached candidates for colorectal and CT lung cancer screening, using an online platform with educational resources and scheduling. Of 71 people who met lung screening criteria, 24% completed CT scans, and of these 29% had clinically significant findings.
- To improve CT lung screening among low-income people of color, Indiana researchers enrolled 89 screening-eligible people in an educational program. Before the program 56% had never heard of lung cancer screening, but afterwards 100% said they believed screening could save their lives.
- Ohio researchers found that of 116 lung cancer cases in a tumor registry, 24% got low-dose CT lung screening.
- An IT tool detected patient concerns about screening’s cost – AKA financial toxicity – and assigned financial navigators to help them.
The Takeaway
This week’s ASCO 2025 sessions demonstrate the synergy between screening and treatment that’s improving survival for a broad spectrum of cancer patients. Continued progress will only serve to benefit both disciplines.
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Unifying All Your Diagnostic Images
The Mach7 eUnity enterprise diagnostic viewer can unify all your images and solve your integration needs under one universal viewing platform. Find out how you can upgrade your enterprise visualization strategy today.
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Get Your Head Around AI for Neuroradiology
Check out the latest blog from Blackford on how advances in deep learning algorithms for neurology imaging are improving outcomes and easing the burden on radiologists.
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Leading the Way in AI Transparency
There’s a need to better inform radiologists about AI’s role when interpreting images and generating measurements. Visage Imaging’s Visage 7 can display text in the viewer indicating that AI was used as a diagnostic aid – find out how it works today.
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- Study Investigates Lung Cancer Paradox: One of the mysteries of lung cancer is why Asian women who don’t smoke (and don’t qualify for low-dose CT screening under USPSTF guidelines) have higher cancer incidence rates. At ASCO 2025, preliminary results from the FANSS study were presented, with researchers recruiting 634 nonsmoking Asian-American women in New York City. Researchers described how they recruited eligible screening candidates, achieved a compliance rate of 91%, and had a 1.5% detection rate for invasive lung cancer.
- AI Aids Never-Smoker Lung Screening: China is wrestling with exactly how to cost-effectively offer CT lung screening to never-smokers, and AI could offer a solution. At ASCO 2025, researchers from Hong Kong presented results using the LungSIGHT AI algorithm in 405 patients. In all, 0.7% had invasive adenocarcinoma and 3% had suspicious lung nodules requiring diagnostic workup. In the study’s validation phase, AI had sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 77%.
- RadNet’s DeepHealth Buys See-Mode: RadNet’s DeepHealth AI subsidiary continues to roll up AI companies, this week announcing it acquired See-Mode Technologies, a developer of thyroid ultrasound AI solutions. See-Mode in 2024 got FDA clearance for thyroid ultrasound analysis and reporting software and has developed a breast ultrasound reporting application as well. RadNet believes See-Mode’s technology will benefit not only DeepHealth but also its own network of imaging centers, where it has contributed to a 30% reduction in thyroid ultrasound scan times.
- FDA Rolls Out Elsa AI for Product Review: The FDA this week rolled out its AI technology for helping the agency review medical product submissions. Called Elsa and first announced in May, the FDA said the generative AI platform was designed to free up scientific reviewers by accelerating clinical protocol reviews, shortening the time needed for scientific evaluations, and identifying high-priority inspection targets. But an article in STAT quoted FDA employees as saying Elsa’s rollout was “rushed” and that the agency was “overinflating its capabilities.”
- Interventional Rad Named as IT Coordinator: In other regulatory news, interventional radiologist Thomas Keane, MD, was named U.S. National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Keane also serves as the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, and in the roles will help guide HHS policy on health IT regulation. Keane was a software engineer prior to training in interventional radiology, and he also was an administrator of HHS’ COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund.
- MRI-Guided Prostate Biopsy Falls Short: MRI-guided prostate biopsy may not be ready on its own to replace systemic biopsy for younger men with suspected prostate cancer. In the PROBASE study in European Urology, German researchers found that for 525 men ages 45-55 with elevated PSA levels, MRI-guided biopsy found fewer clinically significant prostate cancer cases compared to systemic biopsy (74% vs. 94%). A combination of targeted and systemic biopsy may be needed in younger men, and AI analysis could also help.
- Hyperfine Launches Updated Swoop Scanner: Hyperfine this week launched a next-generation update of its portable Swoop MRI scanner. The new version has been cleared by the FDA and includes enhancements designed to improve image quality, such as with a higher signal-to-noise ratio. Swoop V2 is based on Hyperfine’s Optive AI software platform, which the company announced last week, and also includes a hardware redesign to improve patient comfort and make the system easier for radiologic technologists to use.
- MRI Shows Carotid Plaque Rupture Risk: MRI scans of the carotid arteries can reveal if plaque is at greater risk of rupturing. In a paper in Radiology, researchers performed MRI scans at baseline and over six years on 802 patients with subclinical plaque from the Rotterdam Study, evaluating plaque composition. Patients with carotid plaque that already had calcification at baseline had higher odds for intraplaque hemorrhage (OR=2.00), and researchers noted that calcification formation precedes IPH onset.
- Bayer Moves Gadoquatrane to Market: Bayer is moving its gadoquatrane high-relaxivity MRI contrast agent to market, filing for marketing authorization in Japan. High-relaxivity contrast agents enable less dose to be used to achieve image quality equivalent to conventional MRI contrast agents, exposing patients to less gadolinium. Once commercialized, gadoquatrane would compete with the gadopiclenol high-relaxivity agents from Guerbet (Elucirem) and Bracco (Vueway), which won U.S. marketing authorization in 2022.
- Inappropriate Imaging Linked to Climate Change: Inappropriate medical imaging isn’t just bad for patients – it’s bad for the planet. A new study in JACR documents the damage by tracking the amount of excess greenhouse gas emissions contributed by inappropriate imaging of Medicare patients from 2017 to 2021. At the high end of the estimate, inappropriate imaging produced as much as 129.2 metric kilotons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per year – an amount equivalent to the gases required to provide electricity to a town of 70k people.
- Is AI Ready for Mammography Prime Time? Is AI ready for a more prominent role in breast screening? A new study in Academic Radiology offers support based on a real-world prospective study of Lunit’s Insight MMG algorithm for screening 1.1k women in Turkey. Standalone AI’s sensitivity was a bit lower than a majority vote of five breast radiologists (83% vs. 90%), but AI had a much lower recall rate (2.5% vs. 8.9%). Authors concluded their findings correlated with other positive recent studies supporting a role for AI in mammography screening.
- Clairity Gets FDA Nod for Breast AI: A mammography AI startup founded by breast imaging specialist Constance Lehman, MD, received FDA clearance. Clairity said its Clairity Breast platform for predicting five-year breast cancer risk from routine mammograms received de novo authorization from the FDA. Clairity Breast goes beyond traditional risk assessment models that rely on age and family history by incorporating subtle features from mammograms to generate five-year risk scores that can guide decisions by healthcare providers.
- Rad AI Taps Chief Growth Officer: Rad AI named imaging industry executive Demetri Giannikopoulos as chief growth officer. Giannikopoulos comes to Rad AI from Aidoc, where he was chief transformation officer overseeing implementation of the company’s products in radiology, cardiology, and critical care. He will drive Rad AI’s commercialization efforts and manage relationships with healthcare systems.
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Improve Patient Engagement with Clearer Imaging Insights
When patients better understand their imaging results, they’re more engaged and confident in their care. PocketHealth’s Image Reader adds anatomical visualizations to imaging records, improving comprehension, strengthening provider-patient relationships, and driving higher satisfaction. Learn more here.
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The Invisible Edge of Data Migration
AI-enabled data migration has several advantages for healthcare organizations, from efficiency that’s 5-10X faster than traditional methods to success rates as high as 99%. Learn more on this page from Enlitic.
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Opportunistic Detection of CAC and Pulmonary Nodules
Achieve a newfound certainty of search for thoracic CT when using ClearRead CT from Riverain Technologies. It’s a natural addition for opportunistic CAC scoring and nodule detection, or as part of a CT lung cancer screening program.
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- Building an Enterprise Imaging Ecosystem: What’s the best way to bring smaller clinics and rural hospitals into your enterprise imaging ecosystem? Find out how MultiCare Health System did it in this white paper from Merge.
- Revolutionize the Reading Experience: With intelligent automation and AI‑powered workflow, PowerScribe One from Microsoft allows radiologists to generate and communicate high‑quality, consistent reports – and get more done in less time.
- AI-Empowered CT Workflow: CT systems from United Imaging are designed for high image quality and low dose, and their AI-empowered workflow enables fast and reproducible positioning, helping you image patients with confidence. Learn more on this page.
- Synoptic Reporting of Liver Masses: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound exams for focal liver lesions can be challenging to report in at-risk patients. Learn how Kailo Medical’s synoptic reporting solutions can make reporting easier while improving LI-RADS categorization.
- Unprecedented Insights Made Possible with AI: With the largest normative dataset of whole-body imaging in the world, Prenuvo’s AI researchers partner with the best academic minds to understand – like never before – what “normal” aging means. Learn about their work today.
- Enterprise Imaging in the Cloud: What are the benefits of cloud-based enterprise image management? Check out this Imaging Wire Show interview with Tracy Byers, CEO of enterprise imaging at Optum, on the importance of the cloud in radiology.
- What’s Next for AI for Cancer Detection? AI is transforming the fight against cancer by enabling faster and more accurate cancer detection. Read this article from DeepHealth to learn how the company is pioneering new ways to advance cancer screening and broader imaging-based care.
- Presenting Unboxing AI: Check out CARPL’s video series, Unboxing AI, featuring experts discussing AI and its future in radiology. The next episode on June 5 features Jake Fishman of Insight Links – reserve your seat today.
- Imaging Workflows that Actually Work: Not a fan of medical image exchange on discs? Then check out Clearpath and find out how it’s removing obstacles to better radiology workflow. Request a demo today.
- Partnership for AI-Automated Echo Analysis: Us2.ai partnered with Fujifilm Healthcare Americas to equip Fujifilm’s Lisendo 800 cardiovascular ultrasound scanner with Us2.ai’s AI-driven automated clinical workflow solution. Learn more on this page.
- Patient-Centered Innovation with Photon-Counting CT: Siemens Healthineers is committed to transforming medical imaging with its NAEOTOM Alpha class, now featuring three photon-counting CT systems. Find out how they can enhance your diagnostic results.
- An Enterprise Imaging Platform to Grow: WakeMed Health & Hospitals in North Carolina is home to award-winning chest pain centers and two nationally accredited, award-winning stroke centers. Find out how WakeMed turned to enterprise imaging solutions from AGFA HealthCare to transform the way their clinicians work.
- Maximize New CCTA Reimbursement with Philips CT 5300: Coronary CTA is the preferred noninvasive exam for detecting and ruling out CAD. Updated guidelines and improved reimbursement reinforce its value for stable or atypical chest pain. The CT 5300 from Philips delivers fast, high-quality, low-dose cardiac imaging using AI and zero-click motion correction.
- A New Solution for Chest AI: Gleamer’s ChestView AI solution is a computer-aided detection (CADe) model cleared by the FDA for simultaneously detecting multiple findings on chest X-ray. Discover how it enhances explainability and confidence compared to traditional triage-focused CADt solutions.
- The Future of AI in Healthcare: Learn from a panel of radiology key opinion leaders how AI will impact healthcare and future generations of medical professionals in this June 10 RadEqual webinar hosted by Intelerad. Register now to secure your spot.
- MRI Access and the Cost of Inpatient Stays: Longer inpatient stays due to delayed MRI access are a long-standing and costly issue for hospital systems. Find out how STAGE from SpinTech MRI can reduce your MRI backlog and inpatient stays by shortening brain scan times by 30%.
- Radiology Academy – Medical Education on Demand: Visit Calantic Radiology Academy by Bayer, where you’ll find the latest keynotes and symposium sessions on the use of artificial intelligence in radiology, ranging from challenges facing AI to bias in machine learning.
- A Pivotal Moment for Clinical AI Policy: In this episode of The Radiology Report podcast, Medality’s Daniel Arnold interviews Peter Shen of Siemens Healthineers about major developments in AI regulation and reimbursement, including the introduction of the Health Tech Investment Act (S.1399).
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