Robotic technology helps methodist hospital diagnose retired police officer with early-stage cancer

Robotic technology is helping Methodist Hospital physicians diagnose and treat lung cancer, and it’s the first of its kind in the area. Robotic bronchoscopy technology allows physicians to navigate into the hardest-to-reach areas in the lungs, sometimes the size of a few strands of hair. What was formerly a very invasive method to diagnosis abnormal nodules has pulmonologists excited for the future of lung cancer and patient survival rates.

John Underwood, a retired police officer of 25 years, has been a smoker most of his life. When he drastically started losing weight unexpectedly, his doctor referred him for a lung cancer screening. A CT scan revealed tumors on each of John’s lungs. He was sent to Dr. Ali Abedi, a pulmonologist at Methodist Hospital, for a robotic bronchoscopy to detect if the tumors were cancerous.

During surgery, a CT scan uses high-resolution imaging to create a 3D model and navigational path of the airways needed to locate the tumor. The robotic system then guides a small, maneuverable catheter — much like driving a drone — to the tumor site to effectively reach the tissue the physician is looking for.

“Once we navigate to the tumor site, we’re able to biopsy without having to puncture the lung itself,” commented Dr. Abedi. “The risk of significant bleeding or lung collapse is less than 3%, so it’s a much safer way of performing a biopsy and allows us to go after multiple targets in one single procedure, which is what we did on Mr. Underwood.” 

During John’s robotic bronchoscopy, Dr. Abedi and pathology were able to simultaneously diagnose two different types of cancer in his lungs. Fortunately, his cancer was diagnosed it its early stages, which allowed John to get on a treatment path to remission.

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer related killer in the United States and is often insidious, producing no symptoms until the disease is well advanced. In fact, only 16% of cases are diagnosed in the early stages. Once patients with undiagnosed lung cancer become symptomatic — chest pain, shortness of breath, cough - it’s often too widespread to treat surgically or with radiation. Patients who are diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer are more likely to be successfully treated with much more favorable outcomes.

Early detection and treatment of lung cancer saves lives. Physicians at Methodist Hospital urge lung cancer screenings for those who are current smokers or smokers who have quit in the past 15 years and those who have at least a 30 pack-a-year smoking history. 

Early detection and treatment of lung cancer saves lives. Physicians at Methodist Hospital urge lung cancer screenings for those who are current smokers or smokers who have quit in the past 15 years and those who have at least a 30 pack-a-year smoking history. To take a lung cancer assessment, visit our Health Matters page.