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CT Lung Screening, CT Radiation Effects, and GE to Buy icometrix
September 11, 2025
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“In the past, some people were concerned whether study results can be reproduced in the real world, which is often a problem in medicine. Now, real world totally outperforms studies.”
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Siemens Healthineers executive Sebastian Schmidt, on CT lung cancer screening research at this week’s WCLC 2025.
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Recent advances in whole-body MRI and preventive screening raise the possibility of an annual exam of the future to detect disease before symptoms occur. In this Imaging Wire Show, we talk to Prenuvo Chief Medical Officer Daniel Durand, MD, about this exciting future.
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The World Conference on Lung Cancer wrapped up this week in Barcelona, and CT lung cancer screening was a highlighted topic, as it was at WCLC 2024 in San Diego.
The last year has seen significant global progress toward new population-based lung screening programs, and sessions at WCLC 2025 highlighted the advances being made…
- A screening program serving Kentucky and Indiana since 2013 has seen a 30-percentage-point decline in late-stage lung cancer diagnoses – over 3.5X faster than national trends – with far higher uptake than national averages (52% vs. 16%).
- In the European 4-IN-THE-LUNG-RUN trial, AI had a negative predictive value similar to radiologists (98% vs. 97%) in analyzing 2.2k CT lung screen exams, indicating its potential as a first reader.
- Another 4-IN-THE-LUNG-RUN study of 2.6k individuals revealed that AI had a 2.5% incidental findings rate, with none having acute consequences after a year.
- The USPSTF’s 2021 guideline expansion may have reduced the number of at-risk individuals eligible for screening. A California analysis of 11.7k lung cancer patients found 8.8% fewer patients were eligible.
- Researchers from Illinois found that basing screening eligibility on a 20-year smoking history rather than USPSTF 2021’s 20-pack-year threshold would capture more eligible individuals (70% vs. 65%), especially racial minorities.
- A screening program at a VA healthcare system in Northern California achieved a 94% adherence rate for 3.9k military veterans, with 67% of cancers diagnosed at early stages.
- U.S. military veterans had much higher screening rates (50% vs. 29%) in an analysis of 413.6k cancer survivors. Among women, 71% were up to date on mammography screening but only 25% were current for lung screens.
- Researchers used Qure.ai’s algorithm to detect malignant pulmonary nodules on 198k routine chest X-rays in a tuberculosis screening program.
- Asian American women are at higher risk of lung cancer – even if they don’t smoke – and a session explored whether they should be screened.
- A Stanford University program using electronic alerts to primary care physicians boosted screening compliance after one year (16% vs. 8.9%).
- Attending lung screening didn’t make people feel they had a “license to smoke” in a U.K. study of 87.8k people.
- Italian researchers tested Coreline Soft’s AVIEW AI solution as a first reader for screening.
The Takeaway
Findings from this week’s WCLC 2025 conference show both the challenges and opportunities in CT lung cancer screening. Researchers around the world are demonstrating that with hard work, dedication, and persistence, lung screening can become an effective, life-saving exam.
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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.
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Optimize Radiology Workflows
Harness cloud and AI technology to help your radiology teams unlock insights, increase efficiencies, and improve patient care. Learn more about an integrated approach to AI in radiology in this e-book from Microsoft.
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- CT Radiation Before Conception: An Annals of Internal Medicine study found higher birth defect rates in babies born to women who got CT scans before they conceived. For 5.1M women who became pregnant in Canada from 1992 to 2023, rates of spontaneous pregnancy loss per 1k pregnancies were higher in women who got one CT scan before conception versus those who didn’t (117 vs. 101), and the rate grew with two scans (130) and three or more (142). Congenital anomalies also grew for women with one scan (84 vs. 62), two scans (96), and three or more (105).
- GE to Buy icometrix: Consolidation continues in the radiology AI space as GE HealthCare this week said it plans to acquire neurology AI developer icometrix. icometrix developed icobrain, an AI algorithm that analyzes MRI scans for conditions like amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. ARIAs are a side effect of treatment with drugs that target Alzheimer’s disease, and the FDA recently recommended patients get additional MRI scans to monitor for the condition. icobrain will be integrated into GE’s MRI scanners and software, making it easier for clinicians to monitor ARIA.
- Faster MRI for Prostate Cancer: A biparametric MRI protocol without contrast detected prostate cancer just as well as a more time-consuming multiparametric scan in a new U.K. study in JAMA. In the PRIME trial, biparametric MRI cut scanning times in half (to 15-20 minutes), and in 490 patients had a similar cancer detection rate (29.2% vs. 29.6%, p = 0.50). Detection rates for clinically insignificant cancer were also similar (9.2% vs. 9.6%). Biparametric prostate MRI could reduce costs and improve scanner throughput.
- Imagion Advances U.S. Manufacturing: MRI contrast developer Imagion Biosystems reported that its U.S.-based contract manufacturing partner has begun initial production of its MagSense HER2 agent for cancer imaging. The production process will be completed by the end of this month, and testing of drug product to be used in a Phase 2 clinical trial will start after that. Imagion is moving MagSense toward an FDA investigational new drug application, with submission expected in the fourth quarter.
- MRI Predicts Aneurysm Rupture Risk: MRI scans can predict whether a brain aneurysm will rupture within four years. In a new study in JAMA Neurology, Chinese researchers scanned 1.4k patients who had unruptured intracranial aneurysms with gadolinium-enhanced 3T MRI and followed them for four years, finding that irregular shape was the measure that best predicted aneurysm rupture (adjusted HR = 4.53). Another useful measure was circumferential aneurysm wall enhancement (adjusted HR = 2.21), and these patients had a 37% risk of instability over four years.
- Fewer Pediatric Radiologists: The number of pediatric radiologists in the U.S. workforce has declined over the past seven years, even as demand for their specialized skills has increased. Researchers from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute in JACR analyzed radiologists by the percentage of their work RVUs spent in pediatric imaging. For those who spent at least 50% of their wRVUs imaging children, the number fell by 7.2% from 2016 to 2023 (2,190 to 2,032). Their share as a percentage of all radiologists also fell (6.4% to 4.6%).
- Ultrasound Improves Prenatal CHD Detection: Advances in ultrasound screening of pregnant women have driven sharp growth in prenatal detection of congenital heart defects. In a new study in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, researchers tracked CHD detection rates in 109k infants who had heart surgeries from 2006 to 2023, finding that prenatal detection rates more than doubled (62% vs. 30%). A key factor was the 2013 addition to clinical guidelines of specific heart views like outflow tract on prenatal ultrasound scans.
- Emphysema Predicts Mortality: The presence of emphysema on CT lung cancer screening exams can predict mortality rates nearly 25 years later. In a new study in Radiology, researchers tracked outcomes for 9k people who got screening as well as visual assessment of emphysema levels from 2000 to 2008. At a median follow-up of 23 years, people with emphysema had higher rates of all-cause, COPD, and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.29, 3.29, and 1.14, respectively). Mortality risk was higher in more severe cases (2.28 vs. 1.15).
- Siemens Debuts Lung Imaging at WCLC: At WCLC 2025, Siemens Healthineers presented new lung imaging technology that integrates cone-beam CT on a mobile C-arm with robotic bronchoscopy to generate 3D CT-like images. The technology marries the company’s Cios Spin C-arm with the Ion bronchoscopy system from Intuitive, and is in testing at University Hospital of Zurich in Switzerland. The combo system led to a 291% increase in stage 1A lung cancer diagnoses and 89% diagnostic performance, even for small 10mm peripheral lesions.
- PET Reveals Amyloid Degeneration: PET scans showed that subtle changes in beta amyloid deposition in the brain were linked with neurodegeneration in a new study in JAMA Neurology. Researchers scanned 95 mostly cognitively unimpaired people, finding that neurodegeneration began soon after the onset of beta amyloid pathology, and volume loss was worse in positive individuals, confirming that such plaques are pathological rather than benign. Early beta amyloid deposition and atrophy in brain regions where tau accumulates could precede the development of neurofibrillary tangles.
- Naitive Gets FDA Clearance: U.K. AI developer Naitive Technologies received FDA clearance for OsteoSight, the company’s algorithm for opportunistic assessment of BMD from routine X-rays. By analyzing radiographs acquired for other purposes, OsteoSight enables detection of osteoporosis that might have gone unrecognized, and could be an alternative to more expensive DEXA scans. OsteoSight was reviewed under the FDA’s Breakthrough Device program, and this is Naitive’s first 510(k) clearance.
- Siemens Could Sell Lab Diagnostics Unit: Siemens Healthineers is reportedly in talks to sell its lab diagnostics business for as much as $7B. Bloomberg reported that the company is talking to private equity firms about a sale of the division, which makes in vitro diagnostic testing equipment like the Atellica line of immunoassay and clinical chemistry analyzers. While the deal would not involve medical imaging equipment, it would sharpen the company’s focus on radiology and give it funds for further investments in the industry.
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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.
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Redefining Breast Imaging in the Enterprise Era
As breast imaging grows more complex, radiology teams need more than siloed tools. Watch this on-demand webinar hosted by AGFA HealthCare about transforming breast imaging workflows in the enterprise imaging era.
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- Planning for Data Migration Success: When UCSF Health’s enterprise imaging team needed to bring two new hospitals into their network, a new data migration project was born. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn how UCSF ensured a successful migration by working with Laitek, an Enlitic company.
- Ahead in the Cloud: What do healthcare providers need to consider as they adopt cloud-based solutions for medical imaging? Read this article written for Mach7 Technologies by Eliot Siegel, MD, to learn the important role cloud-based technologies are having in shaping the future of healthcare.
- The Advantages of Cloud-Based PACS: CloudPACS offers significant advantages to healthcare providers for enterprise imaging, including no on-premise requirements and enhanced reliability. Learn more about the advantages of CloudPACS in this talk from HIMSS 2025 by Visage Imaging’s Steve Deaton.
- Advancing AI-Driven Data Migration: Enlitic has joined forces with GE HealthCare to power the data migration feature in GE’s newly announced Genesis cloud portfolio. Learn how Enlitic’s AI-driven data migration facilitates large-scale transfers of high-quality medical imaging data.
- AI Tools for Lung Cancer Screening: CT lung cancer screening is gaining momentum around the world. Learn about AI-based nodule detection tools that can improve the accuracy of low-dose CT scans in this video from Riverain Technologies.
- Clarity, Speed, and Confidence for MRI Efficiency: Radiologists have used a variety of methods to improve efficiency, but many of these come with drawbacks. Find out in this article how SpinTech MRI takes on the challenge of MRI efficiency with its STAGE software.
- The Power of Enterprise Imaging: Enterprise imaging is connecting care across large health systems. In this article from Intelerad, learn how it creates a connected ecosystem providing a comprehensive view of a patient’s history for informed clinical decision-making.
- 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.
- Unlocking Precision – A New Era of AI-Powered CT: AI is transforming diagnostic imaging, especially in CT. Discover how Prof. Davide Ippolito is leading the way with the Philips CT 5300 to pioneer ways to reduce radiation dose while improving image quality and set a new standard for the future of CT.
- New-generation Platform for Managing Multi-Omics Data: QP-Insights from Quibim is a new-generation advanced platform for the management, storage, and analysis of large-scale multi-omics data and medical images for clinical studies and research projects. Learn more on this page.
- Rewriting Cancer: How AI Could Reimagine Cancer Screening: Find out how DeepHealth is empowering breakthroughs in lung cancer detection with AI-driven technology in the #RewritingCancer digital series, which explores innovative solutions for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
- AI Echo for Cardiac Amyloidosis Now Available: Us2.ai’s AI Echo Copilot now includes a feature to assist in the detection of cardiac amyloidosis, a serious and frequently under-diagnosed condition. Discover more about this FDA-cleared and CE Marked capability.
- Transforming Stroke Care with Mobile Stroke Units: When it comes to stroke, time is brain. And many providers are turning to CT-equipped mobile stroke units to slash the time from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment. Learn more on this page from Siemens Healthineers.
- Bring Your Radiology AI into Your Clinical Workflows: CARPL enables healthcare providers and researchers to develop, test, and deploy their own AI models within existing clinical infrastructure. From seamless data ingestion and de-identification to model training, packaging, and live deployment, CARPL provides an end-to-end environment tailored for radiology.
- How to Lead When You Aren’t In Charge: Tune in to Medality’s noon conference at 12 pm ET on September 11 to hear Frank Lexa, MD of the ACR’s Radiology Leadership Institute discuss why it’s important for radiologists to begin to lead – even without a formal title.
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