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Onur Özek from Mint Medical discusses the challenges, requirements, and future of lung cancer screening in Germany in an interview with RadMag.

RadMag Special Edition: Onur Özek on the Challenges of Lung Cancer Screening in Germany

With the nationwide rollout of Germany’s lung cancer screening, radiology providers are facing new challenges. Structured reporting, mandatory second readings, longitudinal follow-up, and AI integration must work seamlessly together to support high-quality patient care.

In the latest Radiologie Magazin Special Edition, Onur Özek, Managing Director of Mint Medical, discusses why lung cancer screening is far more than the interpretation of a single examination:

“Screening is a process – and it requires an end-to-end platform.”

In the interview, he explains the requirements that Germany’s screening program places on radiology, IT infrastructure, and organizational workflows, the role of structured reporting and AI, and why interoperability and integrated workflows are critical to the long-term success of screening networks.

“It is not enough to deploy individual technologies. What matters is that all processes work together seamlessly and are integrated into existing IT infrastructures such as RIS and PACS.”

Topics Covered in the Interview

What role does AI play in lung cancer screening?

AI supports the detection and analysis of pulmonary nodules. However, the key factor is the integration of AI-generated results into the clinical workflow.

Why is interoperability important?

Screening programs connect primary readers, second-reading centers, and registries. Without standardized data exchange, workflow disruptions and inefficiencies can occur.

How does mint Lesion support radiologists in lung cancer screening?

mint Lesion supports radiologists in addressing key requirements of lung cancer screening—from structured reporting and AI-supported analysis to second-reader workflows and the longitudinal follow-up of screening participants.

 

Read the full interview in the current RadMag Special Edition on lung cancer screening.

Representatives of Mint Medical and Curagita shaking hands to mark their lung cancer screening partnership
Curagita and Mint Medical are building a quality- and data-secure infrastructure for the new lung cancer screening program together with 25 outpatient radiology screening sites and two second-read centers. Curagita's CuraHub and Mint Medical's mint Lesion software provide the technical foundation for structured reporting, second reads, and the integration of AI solutions such as contextflow's ADVANCE Chest CT.
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