News | Press Releases

November 26, 2024

Canon Medical Strengthens Commitment to Lung Cancer Screening

Canon Medical Systems Corporation (hereinafter "Canon Medical"; President and CEO: Toshio Takiguchi; headquarters: Otawara, Tochigi, Japan) has announced a new global initiative, “Screen for Life. Breathe with Hope.”, designed to advance lung cancer screening efforts, promote early detection, and ultimately contribute to the reduction of lung cancer-related mortality. With a strong focus on technological innovation and collaborative global partnerships, Canon Medical aims to support healthcare professionals in overcoming challenges in lung cancer screening.

Addressing key challenges in Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer screening faces several critical challenges: low participation rates due to lack of awareness, economic and geographic barriers that limit access to screening, and the technical challenge of balancing low radiation dose with maintaining high image quality. Canon Medical addresses these challenges by leveraging its advanced imaging solutions to support healthcare professionals in delivering more effective screening.

To raise awareness among high-risk populations, Canon Medical has participated in a BBC StoryWorks-produced documentary series,“Rewriting Cancer”, to convey the clinical benefits of screening.

“Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death,” says Professor Marie-Pierre Revel, Professor of Radiology from the Cochin Hospital, University of Paris, in the film. “This is why we are currently implementing lung screening in Europe because scientific evidence says that it really decreases the risk of dying of lung cancer.”

Also featured in the film, Professor Mickaël Ohana, Radiologist from Strasbourg University Hospital, emphasized: "Chest CT is powerful enough to see and to detect lung cancer at a very early stage."

To improve accessibility, Canon Medical has worked with medical institutions to start mobile screening programs in the US, and more recently in Europe. By supplying mobile units, Canon Medical helps to reduce the travel time, effort, and costs for individuals needing screening. Furthermore, this approach eases demand on hospital-based CT scanners and staff while offering the flexibility to move between locations and serve larger areas, effectively broadening the reach of lung cancer screening initiatives.

Innovative technology empowering effective screening

Canon Medical's advanced imaging technology is at the forefront of the “Screen for Life. Breathe with Hope.” initiative. To address a key concern of patient safety while maintaining diagnostic confidence, Canon Medical has been able to achieve ultra-low dose imaging without compromising image quality through its SilverBeam Filter. Combined with AI-powered reconstruction technology*, Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), these innovations provide high-quality, low-noise images that are critical for early detection.

For efficient, high-throughput screening, Canon Medical has developed INSTINX - a user-friendly CT workflow that incorporates AI-assisted automation* to enhance efficiency while ensuring consistency and reliability in imaging results. This helps radiology teams manage screening volumes effectively, reducing workload and minimizing errors.

Canon Medical emphasizes the importance of early detection and data interpretation. Its healthcare IT workflow solutions support collecting, integrating, processing, and delivering the necessary information that clinicians need to provide patients with more efficient high-quality lung cancer care.

Knowledge sharing and educational initiatives

“Screen for Life. Breathe with Hope.” is also dedicated to fostering knowledge sharing and educational opportunities among healthcare professionals. Canon Medical is organizing webinars and educational events to bring together global experts, share best practices, and address universal challenges such as improving accessibility and optimizing workflows for lung cancer screening.

Commitment to public health and technological innovation

Toshio Takiguchi, President and CEO of Canon Medical Systems Corporation, explains: "Our mission is to empower healthcare professionals by providing the advanced imaging solutions they need, supported by a collaborative global approach. Through this initiative, we are committed to making early lung cancer screening more accessible, effective, and impactful, ultimately contributing to public health goals around the world."

For more details about the “Screen for Life. Breathe with Hope.” initiative, please visit: https://eu.medical.canon/specialties/lung-cancer-screening.

*The AI technology was trained during the development phase. When implemented into the product, the AI function no longer self-learns.