Hong Kong-based startup Caretia announced on October 4, 2025, that its AI-powered lung cancer screening platform has reached initial development milestones and is proceeding to the next stage: algorithm validation, partnerships with medical institutions, and preparation for wider pilots. The statement highlights that lung cancer is often detected late because early stages rarely present symptoms. While low-dose CT (LDCT) is internationally recognized as an effective early-detection method, its broader rollout faces challenges such as cost, logistics, and shortage of radiologists. Caretia’s team, composed of postgraduate and graduate members from The University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has spent the past year refining their AI algorithm to improve screening accuracy and efficiency. The company has also partnered with charitable organizations to subsidize screenings for underserved populations in Hong Kong—both helping those in need and generating localized clinical data to fine-tune its AI model. CEO and co-founder Philip Tsang noted that the system is designed to proactively detect early lesions in CT scans and forward suspicious findings to radiologists for further review and follow-up. As part of the LC-SHIELD program in Hong Kong, the LungSIGHT AI software already shows sensitivity and negative predictive value above 99 % in validation tests. This enables exclusion of about 60 % of cases without lung nodules, relieving radiologist workload. In the longer term, the Caretia project has the potential to reshape medical diagnostics, boost timeliness of lung cancer detection, and reduce mortality through earlier intervention.
Caretia Advances AI-Powered Lung Cancer Screening Project
