New technology helps to diagnose lung cancer

When Patricia Koranda came to Nebraska Medical Center for a lung biopsy, she didn’t expect she’d be the first at the hospital to have the Ion endoluminal system used on her.  

“Robots are taking over the world anyway, so it didn’t bother me to have this robotic-assisted device being used on me,” Koranda says with a laugh.  

Beyond the technical name of the system, Ion is a robotic-assisted platform used for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung. Koranda had the biopsy performed on Feb. 17, but was told about how the robotic device would operate. 

“I got to see the robot right before I was put under and I was totally surprised by the shape of it,” she says. “I wasn’t frightened at all, and everything went fabulous. I was totally impressed by the staff and how clearly things were explained to me.” 

The only mild discomfort Koranda says she experienced after the biopsy was a mild sore throat and headache. 

Why are precise biopsies so important?

Ion allows physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung, addressing a challenging aspect of lung biopsy. The device will mainly be used when cancer is suspected, or when a biopsy is needed to be obtained within a difficult location of the lung area.  

“Robot-assisted bronchoscopy improves the precision with which we can navigate to small, peripheral lesions,” says Brian Boer, MD, Interventional Pulmonology and Critical Care. “Equally important, this technology allows us to stably maintain a position at the target site which enables us to acquire higher quality samples in a safe, efficient manner.  

Dr. Boer adds that bronchoscopic biopsy has a much lower complication rate than percutaneous (from outside the body) biopsy. Another added benefit for the patient is the ability to perform lung cancer staging during the same procedure. 

“This robot-assisted bronchoscopy technology will help us diagnose patients with lung cancer earlier and lead to better treatment outcomes,” says Keenan Taylor, MD, Interventional Pulmonology and Critical Care. 

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. However, when diagnosed at the earliest stage, known as stage IA-1, the average five-year survival rate is 92%.  

“I was excited to be the first person here to have the Ion used on,” says Koranda. “I hope it helps many others down the road.”