Inova Schar Cancer’s pulmonary nodule program saves lives
| Study at a glance |
| Inova’s incidental lung nodule program has shown a 76% reduction in time from identification to diagnosis compared to standard referral pathways. This study showed an improvement in early-stage diagnosis of lung cancer when identified through Inova’s incidental lung nodule program. |
| • 9,303 patients identified with incidental lung nodules • 134-day reduction in time to diagnosis • More than 100 cancers identified through the program |
Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer in the United States – and it’s also the deadliest, claiming the life of one American every four minutes. One of the reasons lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. is that most of the time, people don’t have symptoms until the cancer is more advanced – and much more difficult to treat. Screening people at risk of lung cancer could save an estimated 62,000 lives over five years, according to the American Lung Association. However, only about one in five people eligible for screening receive it.
Inova Schar Cancer is determined to change that.
A five-year study, led by Amit K. “Bobby” Mahajan, MD, Chief of Interventional Pulmonology at Inova and published in J Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology in April 2026, compared outcomes from Inova’s incidental lung nodule program with traditional referral pathways. The findings showed a dramatic reduction in time from the moment a lung nodule was found on a scan to a lung cancer diagnosis. Inova’s program resulted in 76% faster diagnoses.
This time saved can mean the difference between an earlier-stage lung cancer diagnosis, where there are options for a cure, and a later-stage diagnosis, when treatment options may be more limited.
How Inova’s pulmonary nodule program saves lives
When lung cancer is found early, it’s often because the patient had a CT scan done for some other reason and that CT scan revealed a suspicious spot in the lung, called a lung nodule. These nodules are detected incidentally. Most of these lung nodules are not cancer, but some require follow-up testing to rule out lung cancer. Inova Schar Cancer’s incidental lung nodule program uses sophisticated artificial intelligence software to look at many types of CT scans, searching for those incidental findings of lung nodules.
“Our patients with potential lung cancer do not waste time finding the right physician. Instead, our interventional pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons actually find patients and alert them of the nodules,” said Dr. Mahajan.
Here’s a snapshot of how it works:
- Inova’s incidental lung nodule program uses the most advanced artificial intelligence detection software available to review all the CT scans conducted at Inova emergency rooms and acute care centers to find the term “lung nodule” in radiology reports
- The system alerts dedicated lung nodule navigators in real time
- These dedicated lung nodule navigators then actively reach out to those patients with incidental nodules to fast track them to an appropriate physician for evaluation
- Patients are tracked from detection through diagnosis to reduce delays in follow-up and care coordination
- The program is intentionally designed with speed to diagnosis in mind, reducing time between detection and diagnosis
“Generally speaking, only about 30% of incidental lung nodules nationwide are followed up correctly. But through Inova’s incidental pulmonary nodule program, close to 90% are followed up appropriately,” said Dr. Mahajan. “As a result, we have diagnosed more than 100 incidentally detected cancers in the past five years. Because these cancers have been identified and treated quickly, many patients were cured.”
Recently published study shows program’s impact
About Inova’s incidental lung nodule study:
- 9,303 patients identified with incidental lung nodules
- 81 diagnosed with lung cancer
- 27% diagnosed at an early stage and underwent surgery to cure their lung cancer
Key findings:
- 43 days to diagnosis within Inova’s incidental lung nodule program
- 177 days through traditional pathways
- 134-day reduction in time to diagnosis (76% faster)
“When it comes to lung cancer, time is everything. A structured incidental pulmonary nodule program can significantly shorten time to lung cancer diagnosis and support earlier-stage detection,” Dr. Mahajan said. “Coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches like Inova’s create a more efficient path from detection to definitive care.”
From screening and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship, Inova Schar Cancer’s thoracic oncology team is with you every step of the way. Learn more about our comprehensive lung cancer care.