‘Trailblazing’ NHS pilot combines AI and robotics to spot lung cancer faster

There are plans to expand lung cancer screening.

Thoracic surgeon Stephanie Fraser demonstrates AI and robot technology being used by NHS England to help patients with suspected lung cancer be diagnosed or have the disease ruled out faster under a new NHS pilot at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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Storm Newton

Patients with suspected lung cancer could be diagnosed or have the disease ruled out faster under a new NHS pilot that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with robotic technology.

Officials hailed the project as “a glimpse of the future of cancer detection”.

It comes alongside NHS plans to expand lung cancer screening, with all eligible people invited for their first check by 2030.

The pilot, led by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, will use AI software to analyse lung scans and flag suspicious spots, known as nodules.

Doctors then use a robotic catheter – a thin tube inserted into the patient via the throat – to take precise biopsies directly from the nodule, which are then analysed in a lab to diagnose or rule out cancer.

The robotic system can reach spots as small as 6mm, which are often hidden deep in the lung.

The new equipment incorporates AI and robot technology (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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These nodules may go undetected at screening and can be harder for medics to reach to take biopsies, leaving patients to wait for repeat scans to see if they grow.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting – who underwent robotic surgery when being treated for kidney cancer – said the pilot will catch cancer earlier and replace “weeks of invasive testing with a single targeted procedure”.

Specialists at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have already tested the method on hundreds of patients.

Of the 300 robotic biopsy procedures already carried out, some 215 people went on to have cancer treatment.

The new pilot will involve a further 250 patients.

Thoracic surgeon Stephanie Fraser demonstrates the new technology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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There are also plans to expand the procedure to King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with more than 49,000 new diagnoses and around 33,000 deaths every year.

Trials of targeted lung cancer screening started in 2019, with the programme rolled out nationally in 2023.

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It invites people who have ever smoked and are between the ages of 55 and 74 to have their lung health checked.

Since 2019, more than 1.5 million people have been screened, NHS England said.

The expansion of the programme will invite a further 1.4 million people next year alone.

Officials estimate that screening could diagnose up to 50,000 cancers by 2035, at least 23,000 of which will be at an earlier stage.

Officials estimate that screening could diagnose up to 50,000 cancers by 2035 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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Professor Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, said: “Waiting to find out if you might have cancer is incredibly stressful for patients and their families.

“Our lung cancer screening programme means that we are picking up more cancers at an early stage than ever, and by bringing AI and robotics together in this trailblazing NHS pilot, we’re bringing in the very latest technology to give clinicians a clearer look inside the lungs and support faster, more accurate biopsies.

“This is a glimpse of the future of cancer detection.”

Mr Streeting added: “When I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, the NHS saved my life using robotic technology.

That experience showed me what’s possible when brilliant clinicians have access to cutting-edge innovation – it saves lives.

“Lung cancer is one of the biggest killers in the UK and this pilot will help to catch it earlier, replacing weeks of invasive testing with a single targeted procedure.

“For patients waiting anxiously for answers, this speed and precision can be life-changing.”

Lung cancer patient David Lindsay, who has benefited from the new AI and robot technology (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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David Lindsay, from Streatham, is one patient to have already benefited from the procedure combining AI and robotics.

The IT contractor was referred to Guy’s Hospital for a suspected blood clot in his left leg in September 2025.

However, scans picked up a nodule on his lung and medics were able to take a sample using the robotic system.

Mr Lindsay was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer and then had an operation to remove the disease.

He said: “It was quick and painless. I wasn’t worried because all the staff made me feel comfortable and assured.

“They clearly explained the findings and after a comprehensive discussion, it was agreed that removal of the cancer was the best option in this instance. The operation was a success.”

Mr Lindsay said his blood clot “was a blessing in disguise”, adding: “If it hadn’t occurred, I wouldn’t have had the scan, and various tests, and they wouldn’t have seen the cancer.

“Who knows when I would have had another check-up? And the next time, the cancer may have reached stage four.”

The announcements on the pilot and lung screening comes as the Government prepares to publish its National Cancer Plan, which will aim to boost prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

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