USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute celebrates 450th robotic-assisted bronchoscopy
Lung cancer claims as many lives each year as breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. However, diagnosing lung cancer in the early stages increases the survival rate to more than 61%.
The USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, the only stand-alone bronchoscopy lab in the United States performing robotic bronchoscopies, recently completed its 450th procedure using the MONARCH™ Platform. The Mitchell Cancer Institute is propelling the ability to detect lung cancer earlier and more precisely.
In recognition of the patients, doctors and team members involved in this milestone, MCI hosted a celebration in November that featured live procedure simulations and opportunities to talk with physicians.
Lung cancer claims as many lives each year as breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. However, diagnosing lung cancer in the early stages increases the survival rate to more than 61%. The MONARCH Platform aids in detecting abnormal cells in stages 1 and 2, when lung cancer nodules are small and deeply located within the lungs. The platform’s telescoping endoscope and computer-assisted navigation provide 3D images of the lungs to enhance visibility and ensure precise targeting for tissue biopsy. Collecting the biopsied tissue, trained pathologists perform a Rapid On-Site Evaluation (ROSE) to provide a preliminary diagnosis.
Brian E. Persing, M.D., division director of medical oncology at MCI, explained that the MONARCH platform contributes to improving patient outcomes in lung cancer. “Our multidisciplinary team is enhancing the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of lung cancer with MONARCH. We base our care on a greater understanding of the cancer, which is as unique as each patient,” said Persing, an oncologist with a special emphasis in lung and thoracic cancers. “As a result, we are helping people lead longer, healthier and happier lives.”
MONARCH also reduces the risk of side effects for patients. Lung tissue that is removed robotically from the lung can be analyzed within minutes to provide on-site results, minimizing the number of procedures for patients. With this technology, MCI’s patients experience no surgical incisions, quicker recovery, and fewer hospital visits.
“The MONARCH platform has been a game changer in caring for patients with lung cancer,” said Peter O. Lutz, M.D., a pulmonologist at Pulmonary Associates of Mobile. “We have never had a more immediate and more accurate way to diagnose lung cancer than we do right now.”
First deploying the technology in late 2019, MCI was chosen as the second facility in Alabama and one of only 20 healthcare institutions in the U.S. at the time offering the MONARCH robotic-assisted procedures to its patients. Since launching, this platform has helped physicians achieve more than a 15% improvement in the overall diagnostic yield compared to a traditional bronchoscopy. In partnership with Pulmonary Associates of Mobile and USA Health Pulmonology, MCI is fighting lung cancer smarter and continually advancing lung cancer care for their patients.
