Sarasota Memorial Cancer Team Achieves 75% Early-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnosis Rate by Expanding Detection Beyond Screening

SARASOTA, Fla., April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) reported that 75% of lung cancers diagnosed through an innovative early detection program at SMH's Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute in 2025 were found at the earliest, most treatable stages (Stage I or II). The benchmark results – more than double the national average for early detection and nearly triple Florida's average – demonstrate the success of a scalable model that can be used to improve early detection and outcomes for the world's deadliest cancer.

"Diagnosing lung cancer early is the single, most important thing we can do to save lives," said Joseph Seaman, MD, associate chief medical officer at Sarasota Memorial and a pulmonologist who helped develop SMH's early detection program. "When detected early, in Stage I or II, 70% of lung cancer patients will survive five years or more. When it's found very late (Stage IV), the 5-year survival rate drops to just 10%."

Sarasota Memorial's program harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify at-risk patients, regardless of where or why they enter the health system. Because elective lung cancer screenings capture only a small percentage of the population at risk, the team implemented Eon's technology-enabled platform to identify and flag "incidental" pulmonary nodules in scans completed at the health system for other reasons. Incidental nodules are suspicious spots discovered on scans that patients undergo reasons other than a lung cancer screening, such as a chest X-ray in the ER following an auto accident, or a thyroid scan that includes parts of the lungs.

Eon's platform uses the power of AI to help SMH identify incidental findings documented in more than 430,000 radiology reports each year across its southwest Florida inpatient and outpatient facilities. As radiologists submit their reports, the platform flags abnormalities and identifies at-risk patients, delivering those findings in real time to the lung team for further review. The technology reduces referral delays and enables the team to proactively initiate the same level of accelerated, coordinated follow-up as patients undergoing early-detection screenings.

SMH launched its lung cancer screening program for current and former smokers in 2016, steadily expanding the number of at-risk individuals enrolled through community education and outreach.

"We knew there was more we could do for our community. Our imaging volumes are enormous. We just needed a reliable way to flag incidental findings in real time so we could proactively reach all of the people who could benefit from earlier evaluation," said Amie Miller, MSN, APRN, program lead for the early detection program at SMH's Jellison Cancer Institute.

After integrating Eon's platform, the volume of incidental findings sent to the screening team increased from an average 1-2 per week to more than 170 per week.

The proactive approach translates directly into earlier diagnosis. Between 2022 and 2025, SMH's early detection team evaluated more than 9,000 patients across screening and incidental pathways and diagnosed 144 lung cancers, with 67% diagnosed at Stage I or II. In 2025 alone, the team diagnosed 53 cancers, with 75% in Stage I or II. That is more than double the national average (28%) for early detection and nearly triple Florida's average (25.8%).

Dr. Aki Alzubaidi, CEO and founder of Eon, said SMH's approach demonstrates the opportunity to improve outcomes and address incidental findings earlier by pairing multidisciplinary clinical expertise with technology that supports early detection and longitudinal care management.

"By ensuring every at-risk patient is identified and receives follow-up, Sarasota Memorial's program is improving outcomes at both the individual and community level," he said. "It offers a scalable model for improving early detection through real-time identification of incidental pulmonary nodules, standardized guideline-based follow-up pathways, and longitudinal monitoring to ensure patients complete recommended care." 

While state and national rates for early detection of lung cancer cover a broader patient population, SMH's program underscores the tangible benefits of early detection and timely, guideline-based care. Its results are summarized in a report, Enhancing Community Health by Expanding Lung Cancer Detection, available for download here: www.smh.com/expanding-early-lung-cancer-detection

About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida's greatest breadth and depth of care, with about 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, 11,000 employees and 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County's largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice, freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, behavioral health hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Founded in 1925, SMH's flagship Sarasota hospital is the only Florida hospital to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — every year — since the federal rating program began in 2016. For more information, visit: www.smh.com.

About Eon
Eon is a healthcare technology company helping health systems find patients at risk of cancer earlier and ensure they receive timely follow-up and longitudinal surveillance. Eon's AI-enabled platform identifies incidental findings in radiology reports, tracks patients through completed care, and pairs technology with dedicated navigators who support care coordination and patient outreach. Having analyzed more than 500 million radiology reports, Eon serves more than 75 health systems across over 1,200 facilities. For more information, visit www.eonhealth.com.

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SOURCE Sarasota Memorial Health Care System