Czech AI company and Bristol Myers Squibb announced a collaboration to improve early detection of lung cancer. This innovative partnership will enable the integration of Carebot, a solution that assists physicians in evaluating X-ray images to increase diagnostic accuracy and accelerate the identification of early-stage lung cancer.
Lung cancer is among the most challenging cancers to detect, with delayed diagnosis often reducing the chances of effective treatment. With Carebot’s artificial intelligence, healthcare professionals can analyze chest X-rays with high accuracy and rapidly identify abnormalities that may indicate early-stage lung cancer. The company’s artificial intelligence, Carebot, holds the potential to analyze thousands of chest X-rays in a fraction of the time required for manual evaluation, which can increase diagnostic accuracy by up to 20% and reduce diagnosis time by up to 30%.
“We are very pleased to have partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb on this pivotal project,” says Daniel Kvak, CEO of Carebot. “Our AI can contribute significantly to earlier detection of lung cancer when the treatment is most effective. Together with Bristol Myers Squibb, we aim to transform how lung cancer is diagnosed.”
As part of the pilot project, the technology will be rolled out in five selected hospitals in the Czech Republic. Healthcare professionals, accompanied by AI, will evaluate all chest X-rays. “Carebot’s artificial intelligence is implemented directly into the system we commonly use for diagnosis. Less experienced doctors often assess chest X-rays. The AI notifies them of even small lesions that might otherwise be missed,” said Pavel Struna, Head of the Radiology Department at the Slaný Hospital.
Prof. Robert Lischke, Head of the Surgical Clinic at Motol University Hospital, also views the widespread use of AI in the early detection of lung cancer as crucial for saving human lives: “Early detection of lung cancer is a crucial step in the fight against this persistent disease, allowing patients to undergo surgery, which is essential for successful treatment. Artificial intelligence empowers physicians with a modern tool that can significantly improve our ability to detect it early, thus improving patients’ chances of successful treatment and significantly improving the operability of lung cancer in the Czech Republic.”
Impact on the Czech Healthcare System: Approximately 3.5 million X-rays are taken annually in the Czech Republic. This project has the potential to detect hundreds of cases of early-stage lung cancer, which can significantly improve patients’ chances of earlier treatment and, therefore, a full recovery. “Up to 60-65% of lung cancer cases are detected at an advanced stage in the Czech Republic. Our goal is to prove that with Carebot technology, we can detect lung cancer early and help doctors save lives,” adds Daniel Kvak.
“This partnership reflects Bristol Myers Squibb’s commitment to using innovative technologies to improve patient outcomes,” said Karin Bacmaňáková, General Manager, Bristol Myers Squibb Czech Republic. “By combining Carebot’s advanced AI technology with our treatment missions, we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in lung cancer patient care.”
Pilot in the Czech Republic and plans to expand to Europe
The Czech Republic is the pilot country for this project. After evaluating the results, both companies plan to expand the technology to further countries to help improve patient care not only in the Czech Republic and across Europe. A diagnosis of advanced lung cancer often means not only limited treatment options but also significantly higher costs for the healthcare system. According to statistics, treating advanced lung cancer can cost insurance companies up to 5 times more than treating early-stage cancer. In addition, patients whose lung cancer is detected at an early stage have up to a 60% chance of five-year survival, while this chance drops to less than 10% for late-stage cancer. Using Carebot technology, doctors can detect lung cancer early, which not only increases patients’ chances of survival, but can also significantly reduce the costs associated with long-term treatment of advanced stages of the disease.
