New Robot Helps Diagnose Lung Cancer Earlier

Patients at Orlando Health are the first in central Florida to have access to exciting, new technology in the fight against lung cancer.

 Orlando Health is the first in the area to feature Ion by Intuitive, a new lung biopsy system that helps physicians reach further into the lungs to detect lesions and obtain tissue samples. The minimally-invasive technology promises to help oncologists diagnose lung cancer earlier, thus improving survival rates.

“Lung cancer is a deadly disease, leading to more than 25% of all cancer deaths among men and women in the United States, and making early detection critical to survival,” says Luis Herrera, M.D., thoracic surgeon and medical director of the Rod Taylor Thoracic Care Center at Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center. “Fortunately, new technology like the Ion system is making it possible for us to safely access parts of the lungs that are difficult to reach to see and diagnose cancer earlier than ever.”

The Ion system uses an ultra-thin articulating robotic catheter that can move 180 degrees in all directions, giving physicians the ability to navigate through small, tortuous airways within the lungs. Throughout the navigation and biopsy process, the system’s fiber optic shape sensor technology provides the physician with the precise location and shape information of the catheter. In addition, Ion easily integrates with existing lung-nodule biopsy systems and imaging technology, including fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and CT.

Friday, August 7, 2020, marked the day physicians at Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center performed Central Florida’s first procedures with the Ion system. The Cancer Center is the only facility in the country to feature Ion and the Monarch™ Platform, the first FDA-cleared robot for diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures, furthering a long history as a pioneering program in the latest thoracic diagnostic and treatment options. It offers both technologies as part of a comprehensive care program, including robotic surgery, advanced radiation therapy, and proton therapy, along with an interdisciplinary group of cancer experts focused on providing the best care possible.