New technology for lung cancer detection at Northern Westchester Hospital

Northwell Health’s Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco has become the first hospital in Westchester to use a new robotic technology for lung cancer detection. The ION by Intuitive system allows minimally invasive robotic-assisted lung biopsies to be performed, improving the way physicians can obtain tissue samples from deep within the lungs that can be analyzed to determine whether cancer exists.

According to the hospital, the procedure is less intrusive, may enable earlier lung cancer detection and reduces the risk of complications such as collapsed lung or punctures, which can occur with traditional needle biopsies.

Dr. Darren Rohan, who is Westchester regional director of Northwell Health’s thoracic surgery program, said, “The precision of this cutting-edge technology is what makes the robotic-assisted bronchoscopy truly unique, allowing us to perform biopsies more swiftly and accurately, even in the most challenging areas within the lung. Northern Westchester Hospital is proud to be the first in Westchester to offer this revolutionary, minimally invasive procedure, advancing our efforts in the ongoing fight against lung cancer.”

During the procedure, the patient is put under general anesthesia. The physician then guides a thin articulating catheter to the targeted nodule. The system’s advanced imaging and navigation capabilities allow the physician to maneuver with extreme precision, reaching nodules located even in the most remote areas of the lung. A biopsy tool is then passed through the catheter to collect tissue samples from the nodule for analysis.

The hospital points to data from the World Health Organization showing that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, killing approximately 1.8 million people a year. Smoking is blamed for about 85% of the cases.