Artificial intelligence (AI) software developer Ferrum Health has installed its lung cancer detection platform at Sutter Health, a Northern California healthcare network.
Designed to help prevent errors, the AI software analyzes lung CT scans and associated radiology reports to find any discrepancies between its findings and the radiologist reports. It then flags these cases for further review by clinicians.
In a pilot study at Sutter, a chest radiology expert reviewed these potential discrepancies and followed up with the initial radiologist if needed. During the first 90 days of the pilot, the software reviewed over 10,000 CT scans that contained lung tissue; 83 findings flagged by the algorithm were considered to warrant additional review and intervention. A subset of these cases warranted additional care, according to Ferrum.
![Images show the pectoralis muscles of a healthy male individual who never smoked (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; body mass index [BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 28.4; number of cigarette pack-years, 0; forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], 97.6% predicted; FEV1: forced vital capacity [FVC] ratio, 0.71; pectoralis muscle area [PMA], 59.4 cm2; pectoralis muscle volume [PMV], 764 cm3) and a male individual with a smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; BMI, 27.5; number of cigarette pack-years, 43.2, FEV1, 48% predicted; FEV1:FVC, 0.56; PMA, 35 cm2; PMV, 480.8 cm3) from the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (i.e., CanCOLD) study. The CT image is shown in the axial plane. The PMV is automatically extracted using the developed deep learning model and overlayed onto the lungs for visual clarity.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/03/genkin.25LqljVF0y.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&crop=focalpoint&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
