New ‘revolutionary’ robotic technology helps both treat and prevent lung cancer in one shot
One example of this success is Kathleen McGinn, who found her cancer early and treated it with the new robotic procedure. "I'm very optimistic for my future," McGinn told CBS.
The new technology is called robotic bronchoscopy, and it allows doctors to reach the small, remote parts of the lung they can’t get to with regular tools.
Dr. Partrick Ross with Main Line Health calls it "revolutionary” because, in addition to spotting early-stage cancer, it also allows doctors to treat it at the same time. All this is achieved while the patient remains under anesthesia.
"When they wake up, we say you have lung cancer, and it's treated. And that is all the difference," Ross said.
High-risk patients need to get screened
Currently, the new technology is mainly used on those who need a biopsy for a lung mass but doctors say anyone at high-risk needs to get screened.
Worryingly, the American Lung Association has found that former smokers who have access to the treatment are not getting the recommended screenings. In addition, a growing number of young women and nonsmokers have increasingly been getting diagnosed with lung cancer.
Gloss