Key points from article :
Royal Brompton Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital are using a robotics-assisted bronchoscopy system as part of a clinical trial.
The Ion Endoluminal System was developed by technology company Intuitive.
Its maneuverable robotic catheter allows clinicians to access hard-to-reach areas of the lung and remove biopsies with high precision.
“This technology could transform early diagnosis and treatment, reduce the need for repeat scans and treat lung cancer earlier,” - Kelvin Lau, consultant thoracic surgeon for St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
In June, the Government announced plans to roll-out a new lung cancer screening programme in England.
It is hoped the move will detect lung cancer earlier in 9000 people.
Pallav Shah, consultant respiratory physician at Royal Brompton Hospital, said if we are able to detect nodules of less than 10mm in size, we are looking at a 92% survival rate.
Shah added: “Earlier diagnosis of lung cancer leads to significantly improved outcomes for our patients.”
