“Game-Changing” Robot For Early Lung Cancer Detection Now Operational

NHS Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester has announced on Tuesday that it will introduce the Ion Endoluminal System. This new robotic tool is designed to improve early detection of lung cancer. It is expected to cut the time needed for diagnosis and treatment by several months.

The announcement states that the Ion Endoluminal System builds on the success of Wythenshawe’s Greater Manchester Lung Health Check programme, which has identified over 600 cases of lung cancer at early, treatable stages.

Diagnosing lung cancer and initiating treatment can be challenging because traditional biopsy methods often struggle to access small lung nodules, as noted in the announcement.

As a result, patients with suspected lung cancer may endure months of “watchful waiting,” during which nodules are monitored through scans until they are sufficiently large for biopsy.

The new Ion system addresses this issue with a thin robotic catheter that enables doctors to reach even the deepest and most difficult areas of the lungs with precision.

This system has already been used to perform biopsies on initial patients with suspected lung cancer, as reported on the announcement.

Dr. Haval Balata, Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for the Ion service at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, noted that this new technology could significantly improve patient care.

With the Ion system, patients may receive a diagnosis and start treatment or be cleared of cancer months earlier than with previous methods.

Dr. Haval Balata notes on the announcement, “Having this new innovative technology available for our patients to access is game changing.’’

Dr. Balata added, “ [The Ion system] allows us to offer patients the best possible treatments sooner rather than later, when treatment is much more likely to be successful.’’

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the UK. Patients diagnosed at the earliest stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years compared to those diagnosed at a later stage, report the announcement.

Each year, approximately 48,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer, and around 35,000 people die from the disease in the UK, as stated in the annoucement.