Brandon Hospital Offering Robot-Assisted Technology For Lung Cancer

Press release from HCA Florida Brandon Hospital:

April 23, 2023

HCA Florida Brandon Hospital has performed its first robotic-assisted navigational bronchoscopy for lung biopsy. The new technology improves accuracy and precision of lung cancer biopsy, enabling physicians the ability to diagnose and treat lung cancer earlier than ever.

“According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States,” said Tripp Owings, chief executive officer at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. “We are proud to offer this new robotic technology to our patients in an effort to combat lung cancer and help Floridians live a longer, healthier life.”

The robot features an ultra-thin, easily maneuverable catheter that can move 180 degrees in all directions, allowing doctors to navigate through small and tortuous airways to reach nodules in any airway segment within the lung. The system’s flexible biopsy needle can also pass through very tight bends via the catheter to collect tissue in the peripheral lung, enabling a more precise biopsy and easier surgical experience for patients.

Most lung nodules are small and harmless. But over time, some nodules can grow and even become cancerous. Suspicious nodules larger than eight millimeters may need to be biopsied.

Previously, there were several options for testing a lung nodule, including with a needle inserted into the lungs, with a camera placed in the mouth (traditional CT-guided bronchoscopy) or with chest surgery. But nodules at the outer edges of the lungs are hard to reach with these older methods. With robotic bronchoscopy, a highly maneuverable robotic arm is able to get to these distant areas.

Pulmonologist Dragos Zanchi, MD, successfully performed the hospital’s first robotic-assisted navigational bronchoscopy.

“I’m very excited to offer our patients this extraordinary technique for early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer,” said Dr. Zanchi. “I look forward to collaborating with other like-minded HCA Florida Healthcare fellows and colleagues to help elevate the bar for lung cancer screenings and treatments.”

This press release was produced by HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. The views expressed here are the author's own.