Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) and AstraZeneca launched another strategic collaboration to broaden access to lung cancer diagnosis utilising advanced technologies. They are introducing the Free Lung Cancer Screening Campaign. 

Free Lung Cancer Screening Campaign

Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) and AstraZeneca, together with Qualitas Medical Group once again partnered with three leading tertiary private cancer facilities; Beacon Hospital, Subang Jaya Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre to provide free lung cancer screening to Malaysians.

This is to help the public get an easier access to cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) screening technology (Qure.ai) at primary care clinics and if extra attention needed, will be further investigated with a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan at the three partner tertiary care hospitals.

This initiative was kicked off by Dr. Anand Sachithanandan, Cardiothoracic Surgeon and President of LCNM alongside Dr. Sanjeev Panchal, Country President, AstraZeneca Malaysia based on the shared intention to close the gaps on early lung cancer detection. 

Explaining about it, Dr. Anand Sachithanandan, Cardiothoracic Surgeon and President of LCNM said:

Family history and air pollution are emerging significant risk factors for the rising trend of lung cancer in non-smokers. This collaboration utilising AI technology for cancer screening is the first-of-its-kind in Malaysia and will help address the unmet need of lung cancer detection in non-smokers. AI chest x-rays will enhance diagnostic accuracy and expedite referral of suspected cases to a relevant lung specialist. With more swift investigation and intervention, better survival rates can be expected. Innovative medical advancements such as this deep-learning AI algorithm machine is a huge step forward and potential game-changer for the medical industry. We hope to create an impactful stage shift and detect more early lung cancer in the community.

Dr. Anand Sachithanandan, Cardiothoracic Surgeon and President of LCNM

Disclosing about the collaboration, Dr. Sanjeev Panchal, Country President, AstraZeneca said:

Through this second collaboration with the Lung Cancer Network Malaysia, Qualitas Medical Group and now with the tertiary hospitals, we hope to broaden patients’ access to early lung cancer diagnosis to reduce the mortality rates in Malaysia. The integration of innovative technologies such AI for lung cancer screening starting at the primary care level is evidence of how early screening can improve the timely referral of high-risk individuals to tertiary hospitals for further diagnosis using LDCT imaging and ultimately save lives. AstraZeneca’s ambition is to go beyond the pill to create a robust health ecosystem which promotes early diagnosis to reduce the disease burden and improve the accessibility to screening and treatments.

Dr. Sanjeev Panchal, Country President, AstraZeneca

This collaboration wished to spark a new hope for Malaysians to take their healthcare seriously. As in any healthcare issue, the prominent process of it is the detection. If it could be done early, further cure and treatment can be done as soon as possible. 

The free screening campaign is going to be available until 31 December 2022, at 12 Qualitas primary care clinics. For more information on the free screening campaign, visit: https://www.lungcancer.net.my/free-ldct-lung-screening-programme-2/

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