Allegheny Health Network using new robotic tool to diagnose lung cancer
As technology advances in the fight against cancer, Allegheny Health Network is using a new robotic tool to diagnose lung cancer.
For many people doctor's visits bring anxiety, but the word cancer brings a whole new level of stress.
Doctors told Jacqueline Rysz she might have lung cancer after they found one mass in her left lung and another mass in her right lung.
"By this time, my heart is beating so fast, I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, I have cancer," Rysz said. "Everybody thought it was cancer."
After seeing more doctors and having more scans done, she came to Allegheny Health Network Forbes Hospital for a second opinion. AHN Forbes Hospital Pulmonologist Dr. Giath Shari used new robot-assisted equipment to enter Rysz's lungs this time.
With the tube in the main airway, doctors dropped an ultra-thin, extra-maneuverable catheter down to her lungs with a camera to see the lungs in real time. While inside the lungs, Dr. Shari drained one abscess and performed a biopsy on the other mass, and Rysz learned she was cancer-free.
"I was like, 'Oh, my God.' I started crying because I was just really, really happy," Rysz said.
With this Ion Endoluminal System, doctors said they could collect lung tissue samples for biopsy in a simpler way and get results quicker.
"They don't have to wait until they recover from a surgical biopsy to start treatment for cancer," Doctor Shari said.
It reaches small lesions in all 18 segments of the lung.
"With a traditional scope, we could never go that far," said Dr. Hiran Fernando, the Director of Thoracic Surgery for AHN Forbes.
Doctors said it's more precise and stable with fewer procedures. It can reduce risks for patients.
"If we find lung cancers early, we have a much better chance of curing them," said Dr. Fernando.
Rysz said she's relieved this procedure was a "one and done" situation.
"With me, I have a lot of anxiety about this, to begin with, and I thought, 'Well if I have to go through this five or six times, it would be horrible.'"
For Rysz, this medical experience is a wake-up call to be vigilant about her health. It's also a reminder for her that not being one of thousands of new cases of lung cancer comes down to the science and skill of doctors and technology.
"If you have any signs of lung cancer, get this bronchoscopy, because it is simple, easy and it saves you a lot of trouble from having a lot of other tests done," said Rysz.
"It was a miracle for me, a miracle."
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