The Cleveland Clinic is launching a study involving cutting-edge technology that could hold a key to detecting lung cancer at an early stage when treatment is most effective. 

The three-year study, involving 8,000 patients, will analyze the effectiveness of using chest x-rays to detect abnormal changes in lung tissue caused by lung cancer in its early stage. The chest X-rays will be analyzed using computer-aided detection (CAD) software that can identify the changes.

If lung cancer is detected early enough, doctors can remove early growths in order to stop the disease. Currently, lung cancer is detected at a much later stage and treatment options are extremely limited and therefore prognosis is poor.