Tech News Summary:
- Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois is the only hospital in the region to offer patients undergoing lung biopsy with the latest technological advancement, the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system.
- The Ion software generates the safest and most efficient route through the lung to reach the nodule or mass, allowing doctors to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung, addressing a challenging issue of lung disease.
- The Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system at Blessing Hospital increases patients’ chances of receiving a clear diagnosis and starting treatment more quickly by decreasing their need for additional biopsies.
Blessing Hospital, a leading healthcare facility in Quincy, Illinois, has unveiled cutting-edge lung cancer detection technology that is being hailed as a game-changer in early diagnosis. The new technology, known as the Lung Cancer Screening Program, offers a non-invasive and highly effective way to detect the disease in its early stages.
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with over 135,000 deaths expected in 2021. The key to improving survival rates is catching the disease early, but traditional screening methods have proven to be insufficient in detecting lung cancer in its earliest stages.
The new technology at Blessing Hospital uses low-dose CT scans to identify small nodules in the lungs that could be an early sign of lung cancer. This highly sensitive approach has been proven to catch the disease in its early stages, when it is still treatable. In fact, studies have shown that early detection through CT scans can reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer by up to 20%.
“This technology is a game-changer in the fight against lung cancer,” said Dr. John Nana-Sinkam, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Blessing Hospital. “It allows us to catch the disease much earlier than we could before, giving patients a better chance of beating it.”
The Lung Cancer Screening Program is open to anyone who is at high risk of developing lung cancer, including current and former smokers over the age of 55. The program includes a comprehensive evaluation by a team of healthcare professionals, including a radiologist and pulmonologist.
“We are thrilled to offer this cutting-edge technology to our patients,” said Maureen Kahn, President and CEO of Blessing Health System. “Early detection is key to improving survival rates, and this program has the potential to save many lives.”
The Lung Cancer Screening Program at Blessing Hospital is now accepting patients. To learn more or to schedule a screening, visit https://www.blessinghealth.org/lung-screening.