New cutting-edge tech helps cure lung cancer at Lakeland Regional Health
The Brief
Lakeland Regional Health is using a new cutting-edge technology called the ION robot to help cure lung cancer.
The robot allows doctors to reach the lesions at the edge of the lung and collect tissue samples they couldn't reach before.
Doctors say the new procedure has a nearly 15% lower complication rate than alternative procedures, and that patients are far more comfortable during the new procedure.
LAKELAND, Fla. - Lakeland Regional Health is using new cutting-edge technology to help them cure lung cancer.
Lung cancer can be a deadly disease, and the further it spreads, the more harmful it is.
Dig deeper
The ION robot is the only one of its kind in Polk County.
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Using a small catheter, doctors can navigate to the lesions at the edge of the lung to collect tissue samples that were previously unreachable.
"A nodule is a white spot on a CT scan which may be cancerous, an infection, or maybe inflammation, so instead of waiting for repeat scans in three months or six months and watching things grow, we can biopsy much earlier and get a treatment plan sooner," said Dr. Yatin Kheti, the head of pulmonary at Lakeland Regional Health.
Why you should care
There are fewer complications and risks than the traditional method, which involves a CAT scan and a needle being stuck between the ribs into the lesions.
"The complication rate is a big deal, right, so 20% traditionally for a CT-guided biopsy, and for this procedure, it's less than 5%," said Kheti.
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Also, more patients are more comfortable and at ease as they have to be fully anesthetized.
Kheti says Polk County has a very high smoking population, and the pulmonary clinic has a lot of referrals for lung nodules, so this technology will help save lives.
"We're really excited about this new technology that enables us to cure our patients of the cancer that's the most common cause of death in the United States among cancers," said Dr. Eric Lipson, a pulmonologist and lung specialist at the Watson Clinic in Ruskin.
What's next
The hospital implemented the ION robot on Friday and has used it in five cases already.
The Source
FOX 13's Carla Bayron collected the information in this story.
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