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# AI and robot pilot launched by NHS to spot lung cancer sooner
- URL: https://med-techinsights.com/ai-and-robot-pilot-launched-by-nhs-to-spot-lung-cancer-sooner/
- Published: 2026-01-26T12:55:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T07:49:38.000Z
- Description: Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at Whitehouse Communications, focuses on the latest deployment of MedTech in the fight against cancer. Patients facing suspected lung cancer could get answers sooner under a new NHS pilot using artificial
- Author: Oliver Johnson
- Tags: Insights, Digital Health & AI, Artificial Intelligence

[***Chris Whitehouse***](https://med-techinsights.com/tag/chris-whitehouse/)***, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at*** [***Whitehouse Communications***](http://www.whitehousecomms.com/?ref=med-techinsights.com)***, focuses on the latest deployment of MedTech in the fight against cancer.***

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Patients facing suspected lung cancer could get answers sooner under a new [**NHS**](https://www.nhs.uk/?ref=med-techinsights.com) pilot using artificial intelligence and robotic technology to help doctors reach hard-to-detect cancers earlier, with fewer invasive tests.

The new approach uses AI software rapidly to analyse lung scans and flag small lumps that are most likely to be cancerous, and a robotic camera is then used to guide biopsy tools through the airways with far greater precision than standard techniques.

 The pilot comes alongside plans for the NHS to expand lung cancer screening, ensuring every eligible person is invited for checks in less than five years, no matter where they live, continuing the Government’s drive to tackle inequalities in cancer outcomes as part of the [National Cancer Plan.](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan?ref=med-techinsights.com)

The robot can reach nodules as small as 6mm, around the size of a grain of rice, hidden deep in the lung and often too risky or difficult to access using existing methods. Once AI has highlighted higher-risk areas, doctors can take a precise tissue sample, which is sent to specialist laboratories and reviewed by expert cancer teams to confirm or rule out cancer.

For many patients, weeks of repeat scans and procedures could be replaced with a single, half-hour cancer biopsy, reducing prolonged uncertainty and avoiding more invasive surgery. If shown to be effective, the technology could help transform lung cancer diagnosis as the NHS screening programme increasingly identifies more people with very small nodules that would previously have gone undetected until much later.

The expansion is set to see the NHS invite 1.4 million people for a lung cancer check next year alone. The programme is expected to diagnose up to 50,000 cancers by 2035 and at least 23,000 at an earlier stage, potentially saving thousands of lives.

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. Innovation like this is exactly how we can help diagnose more cancers faster, so treatment can be most effective, and why the NHS continues to lead the way in bringing new technology safely into frontline care.”

The pilot is being led by [**Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust**](https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/?ref=med-techinsights.com), following successful testing. The team has already carried out around 300 robotic biopsy procedures, with 215 people going on to receive cancer treatment, while others were spared more complex procedures after benign results.

Comments upon or questions about this article can be Addressed to [chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com](mailto:chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com).