Mayo Clinic employs AI for incidental lung screening: 5 notes

An AI-enabled lung nodule management program facilitated an 87% follow-up of nodules identified during CT scans, according to a study published Oct. 23 in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 

Researchers at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic used natural language processing software to capture lung nodules found in CT studies between December 2023 and July 2025, a Dec. 9 news release from the health system said. 

Here are five notes on the findings:

1. During the study period, 27,284 nodules were identified. Nodules detected in patients receiving active cancer therapy or surveillance were excluded.
   
   
2. After the AI software flagged the nodules within the EHR, the nodules were reviewed and classified by a team of RN-level nurse navigators.
   
   
3. Of the 6,979 nodules included in the study, 87% were classified as engaged and 13% were classified re-engaged incidental. Those patients with a primary health professional at Mayo Clinic were enrolled into a surveillance program.
   
   
4. These nodules triggered 389 follow-up chest CT scans, 107 visits to Mayo Clinic’s Lung Nodule, Mass and Adenopathy Clinic, 50 PET-CT scans, six bronchoscopies and two CT-guided lung biopsies.
   
   
5. Nine patients were diagnosed with lung cancer.
   

Read the full study here.