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‹ Tue · 5 May 2026
Early cancer detection or prevention

Understanding LUng Cancer risk factors and their Impact Assessment (LUCIA): protocol for multicentre observational cohort study

A European study is developing AI lung cancer screening that identifies risk in never-smokers and other groups current screening misses.

LUCIA is a 4,000-participant European multicentre cohort (Spain, Belgium, Latvia) designed to develop and validate AI-based lung cancer risk prediction models combining multi-omics, breath analysis, and novel non-invasive sensing technologies to extend screening eligibility beyond smoking history. The study addresses the significant gap that current LDCT programs miss never-smokers and non-traditional risk profiles, who account for a growing share of lung cancer diagnoses.

What the study was

Study design
Multicentre longitudinal observational cohort study protocol
Population
Approximately 4,000 participants across Spain, Belgium, Latvia; smokers, never-smokers, and reduced-smokers with low-to-moderate lung cancer risk
Sample size
4000
Category
Early Detection
Maturity
Exploratory
Journal
BMJ Open

Why it surfaced

Well-designed protocol integrating novel non-invasive sensors with multi-omics for lung cancer risk in underscreened populations; protocol only so evidence maturity is exploratory.

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