A Prospective Cohort Study Evaluating the Utility of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Non-Contrast Computed Tomography for Multi-Cancer Screening in Asymptomatic Individuals Undergoing Routine Health Examinations

Cancer has become a major public health issue in China, seriously affecting population health, the economy, and social development. In 2022, there were an estimated 4.82 million new cancer cases and 2.57 million cancer-related deaths. Lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer are the seven leading causes of cancer-related mortality. A successful earlier detection strategy would allow patients to receive timely interventions, improve treatment outcomes, enhance overall survival, and reduce the complexity and cost of treatment.

In this study, we will conduct a large-scale, prospective, multi-center cohort study, aiming to evaluate the utility of AI-assisted non-contrast CT for multi-cancer screening. The population consists of individuals who have undergone non-contrast abdominal or chest CT scans at Meinian Onehealth Health Examination Center or Shanghai Changhai Health Examination Center, with an expected enrollment of 1 million participants. A multi-cancer screening model via non-contrast CT, developed by Alibaba DAMO Academy, will be integrated into the PACS system of health examination centers. The imaging AI model will be used to automatically detect various cancerous lesions, including lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer. Subjects identified with positive lesions by the AI model will be required to be referred to Shanghai Changhai Hospital for further imaging examinations (such as contrast-enhanced CT, MRI, Endoscopy, etc.) to confirm the final disease status and formulate a treatment plan. Additionally, the medical team should follow care pathways developed based on guidelines from NCCN and ACR, and if necessary, patients will be directed to the multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinic for specific cancer types to determine the diagnostic procedures. The ultimate goal of this study is to comprehensively assess the diagnostic performance metrics of the AI model for each of the seven cancer types individually. These metrics include, but are not limited to, sensitivity, specificity, and positive/negative predictive value. Particular emphasis will be placed on evaluating the model's efficacy in detecting early-stage, resectable tumors. The overarching aim is to determine whether the implementation of this AI-assisted screening approach could potentially lead to improved overall survival rates through earlier detection and intervention.