McLaren Port Huron now offers a leading edge and innovative approach to diagnosing early-stage lung cancer, when it’s most treatable. The new Ion system is a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure that enables physicians to reach nodules far into the peripheral lung.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, but when it’s diagnosed at the earliest stages, the average survival rate increases tremendously. Early-stage diagnosis can be difficult, but with the Ion system, the physician can obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung to biopsy.
Using an ultra-thin catheter, the physician can navigate far into the peripheral lung. Once a pulmonary nodule is reached, the catheter locks in place for the biopsy needle to pass through the catheter to the targeted location with greater precision and stability than conventional techniques.
“We’re excited to be a leader in this field,” says Dr. Vasken Artinian, who has already performed 25 cases. “The sooner we can diagnose lung cancer, the more favorable the outcomes can be, and at McLaren Port Huron, we’re now able to offer our community advanced and innovative options to fight lung cancer.”