It can be stressful waiting for the results of a lung biopsy to find out if it is cancer or if a nodule has grown in size. And, if it is cancer, it may have already had a chance to spread.

Thanks to state-of-the-art robotic technology, Edward-Elmhurst Health physicians have a new tool to diagnose lung cancer earlier than ever before.

Using the Ion robot, doctors are able to biopsy nodules in locations of the lung that previously were too difficult to reach. Patients may then avoid having to wait and see whether a lesion has grown.

“Traditional methods for doing a lung biopsy involve either doing a needle biopsy from outside the lung or doing a procedure called a bronchoscopy which allows us to do a biopsy from the inside of the lung,” says Matthew J. Baugh, M.D., an independent pulmonologist on the medical staff at Edward Hospital.

“Sometimes we are not able to reach certain parts of the lung with a scope because the airways are too small or too difficult to reach via traditional methods.” That’s where the Ion robot benefits patients.

How Ion works

Using information from a computed tomography (CT) scan, physicians can generate an image of the airways that gives them a path to examine nodules in the lungs.

After a roadmap of the lungs has been established, an ultra-thin catheter is inserted into the airway. Once the catheter is at the location of the nodule that needs to be examined, a small sample of the lung tissue can be taken.

Using Ion, physicians like Dr. Baugh can control the catheter using a special console, allowing the catheter to move in different directions and biopsy areas that were previously out-of-reach.

The entire procedure takes about an hour and patients can go home the same day. Side effects of the test are minor; some patients may experience a sore or scratchy throat, but patients can often resume normal activities the next day.

Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy is minimally invasive and allows for earlier diagnosis and potentially earlier treatment of lung cancer. For patients who need to wait and watch to see if a lung nodule has increased in size, the Ion is an option for diagnosing potential cancer sooner.

“The Ion is a revolutionary tool,” Dr. Baugh says. “A lot of times lung cancer does not cause any symptoms until it is more advanced. The key to early detection is to diagnose cancer in an early stage so it can potentially be cured.”

Learn more about lung cancer care at Edward-Elmhurst Health.

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