SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Hospital Sisters Health System is using artificial intelligence to help catch lung cancer earlier, but sometimes before patients even realize anything is wrong.
HSHS has rolled out an AI-powered platform from Eon Health that scans radiologists’ reports for so-called “incidental” findings. These are abnormalities discovered during imaging tests ordered for other reasons, such as chest pain, abdominal pain, or injuries from a fall. The technology flags lung nodules that may otherwise go unnoticed and alerts providers so patients receive timely follow-up care.
“We’re currently using AI in radiology to make sure patients are getting adequate follow-up, specifically in the lung nodule space,” said Brandon Richardson, system director of radiology for HSHS.
He explained that patients may come into the emergency room for something unrelated, like a kidney stone, and a lung nodule is spotted incidentally.
“We’re making sure that’s followed up on by the primary care doctor,” Richardson said.
The Eon Health platform uses natural language processing to analyze radiology reports, identify mentions of lung nodules and place those cases into a follow-up queue. Primary care providers are then notified that additional evaluation may be needed, even if the original scan had nothing to do with lung cancer.
Since adopting the technology, HSHS has identified thousands of incidental lung nodules. Richardson said more than 15,000 nodules have been flagged so far, with over half measuring eight millimeters or larger. That size often places patients into a higher-risk category requiring closer monitoring.
Doctors say that kind of early identification is critical. Lung cancer is often asymptomatic in its earliest stages, meaning patients typically don’t feel sick or notice warning signs. By the time symptoms appear, the disease is frequently advanced.
“Most of the time, these nodules are being detected incidentally,” said Dr. Chris Sutton, a pulmonologist with HSHS in O’Fallon. “Patients are coming into the ER for a variety of reasons, and these lung nodules won’t impact them immediately, so they can get put on the back burner. This tool helps make sure they don’t get missed.”
According to the American Cancer Society, the overall five-year survival rate for lung cancer is about 27%. When the disease is caught early, that number jumps to 67%. Doctors say AI-driven follow-up can shift diagnoses into those earlier, more treatable stages.
HSHS leaders also point out that the technology can be especially impactful for smaller and rural hospitals, where providers often juggle heavy workloads, and patients may have limited access to specialists.
“This is a tool that can run in the background and help primary care doctors get patients the help they need,” Sutton said. “I think patients in rural areas are really going to see benefits from this and get more early-stage lung cancer diagnoses.”
While the AI system does not replace physicians, providers say it adds an important safety net.
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