Personalized lung cancer screening and diagnosis for Veterans
Personalizing Veterans' Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnosis
This project combines AI and blood-based biomarkers to better find and diagnose lung cancer in Veterans with a smoking history or military exposures.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195534 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be offered lung cancer screening that takes into account military exposures like asbestos, Agent Orange, burn pits, and radiation in addition to smoking history. The team will use low-dose CT scans plus an AI imaging tool (LCP-CNN) and two blood biomarkers to help distinguish benign nodules from cancer. The goal is to shorten time to diagnosis and avoid unnecessary invasive procedures. If you join, you may have extra blood tests and imaging reviewed by the AI and research clinicians to guide follow-up.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Veterans aged about 50–80 with a significant smoking history or known service-related lung exposures who are eligible for or under consideration for LDCT screening.
Not a fit: People who are not Veterans, are well outside the screening age or smoking history criteria, or who already have advanced lung cancer are unlikely to benefit from this specific program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help detect lung cancer earlier in Veterans with service-related exposures while reducing unnecessary biopsies and procedures.
How similar studies have performed: Large randomized trials have shown low-dose CT screening saves lives, and prior work suggests AI imaging tools and some blood biomarkers can improve diagnosis, though combining these approaches specifically in Veterans is newer.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Veterans Health Administration — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lewis, Jennifer a — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Lewis, Jennifer a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.