Coreline Soft’s AI in the HANSE Project, Germany

Coreline Soft’s AI in the HANSE Project, Germany

The HANSE Project, conducted in Germany, represented a pivotal shift in the nation's approach to lung cancer screening. Running from 2021 over a three-year period, the study was funded by AstraZeneca GmbH and the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), and it involved three German Cancer Society (DKG)-certified lung cancer centers in Hannover, Lübeck, and Großhansdorf. The project aimed to establish scientific evidence for the implementation of an effective and comprehensive Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) program in Germany.

Designed as a population-based, multicenter randomized trial, the HANSE Project sought to identify early-stage lung cancer among high-risk populations. One of its innovative features was the use of truck-mounted low-dose chest CT (LDCT) scanners, which rotated between the three hospitals every two weeks. This mobile approach not only provided access to high-quality lung cancer screening for patients in remote areas but also helped standardize imaging quality across all study sites. The strategy contributed to increasing participation rates and ensuring consistent LDCT image quality.

Although the project was slightly delayed due to COVID-19, it successfully enrolled its first patients in July 2021. Over the course of nearly three years, more than 5,000 chest LDCT scans were interpreted, marking the HANSE Project as a significant success in Germany’s lung cancer prevention efforts.

At the core of this success was Coreline Soft’s AI-based lung cancer screening solution, which played a critical role throughout the study.
 

Coreline Soft’s AI Technology in the HANSE Project

Coreline Soft’s AI technology was integral to the HANSE Project’s success. Each chest CT scan was independently reviewed twice: once by a radiologist with over 10 years of experience and once by a radiology resident with at least 3 years of experience. Coreline’s AI-assisted viewer was used in both readings to detect lung nodules and provide automated volume analysis results, enhancing the precision of lung cancer diagnosis.

In cases where discrepancies arose between the two readers' assessments or when the scan indicated a Lung-RADS category of 3 or higher, Coreline’s system automatically flagged the case for further discussion during an interdisciplinary conference. This remote conferencing system connected doctors from the three study sites in Hannover, Lübeck, and Großhansdorf, allowing them to collaborate in real time and arrive at a consensus. Coreline Soft’s AI was pivotal in maintaining quality control over the imaging interpretations and ensuring that all medical professionals, regardless of location, could collaborate seamlessly. As a result, diagnostic accuracy was significantly enhanced, and the confidence in the screening process was strengthened.

 

Key Features and Advancements in AI Technology

Coreline Soft’s lung cancer screening solution followed the Lung-RADS 1.1 guidelines set by the American College of Radiology (ACR). However, it went a step further by incorporating the Volume Doubling Time (VDT) guidelines from the NELSON study to evaluate nodule size and growth. This approach allowed for more robust analysis of nodule growth rates and lung cancer risks. Additionally, Coreline’s system provided Brock Score calculations from the PANCAN model, as well as various radiomics features to help radiologists make more informed decisions.

Beyond nodule detection, Coreline’s AI solution also offered automated calculations of Coronary Artery Calcification (CAC) and emphysema index (LAA-950HU). This enabled screening not just for lung cancer but also for cardiovascular disease and emphysema—collectively known as the 'Big 3' diseases—all from a single chest CT scan. This integration of multiple disease screenings into one platform significantly enhanced the utility of the LDCT scan, making it a powerful tool in preventive healthcare.

Upon completing the imaging analysis, Coreline’s AI system automatically generated reports tailored to the requirements of the German healthcare system. This ensured that the study’s findings were easily interpretable and ready for clinical application.
 

The Impact and Legacy of the HANSE Project

The HANSE Project was Germany’s first large-scale lung cancer screening study to fully leverage AI technology, making it a landmark effort in the field. The project demonstrated that AI-powered lung cancer screening systems could effectively augment the work of medical professionals, improving diagnostic accuracy and raising the overall quality of healthcare services. The results of this study have laid the groundwork for a future nationwide lung cancer screening program in Germany, and the experiences from HANSE will likely serve as a crucial reference in shaping such initiatives.

Coreline Soft is proud of the pivotal role its AI technology played in this groundbreaking study. The ability of its solutions to improve the accuracy of image interpretation, streamline workflow, and provide tailored reporting for the German medical community highlights the real-world impact of AI in healthcare.

The HANSE Project’s legacy will continue to influence lung cancer screening in Germany for years to come. Coreline Soft’s AI-driven contributions have not only helped detect early-stage lung cancer but have also provided a glimpse into the future of AI’s role in healthcare, where technology and medicine work hand-in-hand to save lives and improve patient outcomes.