Personalized lung cancer screening and diagnosis for Veterans
Official title: Personalizing Veterans' Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnosis
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11195534 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002686-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195534 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Veterans Health Administration
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lewis, Jennifer a — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Lewis, Jennifer a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Digital health strategies to expand lung cancer screening in safety-net clinics
A funded project aims to help low-resource clinics increase the use of lung cancer screening for patients who smoke or are at risk.
-
Integrated approach to lung screening and quitting for African Americans
A multi-level program aims to boost LDCT lung cancer screening uptake and help African American smokers quit, with support from a comprehensive community-focused plan.
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Population health approach to boost lung cancer screening at community clinics
A large Utah project aims to help community clinics reach more eligible adults to get low-dose CT lung cancer screening.
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Group-based tobacco treatment for older adults after lung cancer screening
A study tests a group-based tobacco cessation program for older adults who are getting lung cancer screening to help them quit smoking.
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Personalized Lung Cancer Screening for Veterans
Aimed at improving who gets screened and how lung cancer is diagnosed among Veterans using personalized tools.
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Proteogenomic framework to improve lung cancer screening with biomarkers
A biomarker-based approach aims to refine LDCT lung cancer screening so more cancers are caught early while reducing unnecessary procedures.
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.