Texas Hospital, First in State to Use Robotic Biopsy Tech That Improves Lung Cancer Survival Rate
Screening for lung cancer through CT scan has been able to lessen the radiation exposure nearly similar to that of a chest X-ray.
Texas Health Harris Method in Fort Worth has turned out to be the first North Texan hospital to employ a robotic-assisted technology named, "Ion," to perform a biopsy on potential lumps or polyps earlier than the traditional diagnostic assessments allow.
As the drive of this latest invention, lung cancer is considered the second-most common type of cancer regardless of gender. However, despite the illness's commonness, the survival rate is more often than not, low.
Additionally, lung cancer has frequently reached the progressive stage by the time visible signs show up, and thus, early diagnosis is critical.
The robotic diagnostic technology utilizes a pre-planned steering path to help control an ultra-thin catheter to a wound or abrasion, which, as described in medicine, as a round or oval-shaped development in the lung appearing on a CT scan.
According to pulmonologist Dr. John Burk, from the Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, Ion "has changed the entire concept of the manner and time they can have a lung cancer diagnosed."
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Observing Possibly Cancerous Lesions
Experts explain that there are times when one does not know when it is that you may be removing a benign abrasion or an area of infection for which treatment is available bot does not require surgery or operation.
And since doctors currently acknowledge smaller lesions, including their importance as probable cancers, they observe and track them over time.
Relatively, if the said lesions grow, it then turns out to be essential to the attempt to find out what it is and what's needed to be done about it.
Survival Rates
One medical expert explains that if we take all lung cancers, the five-year survival rate of the illness is roughly 19 percent.
Additionally, if you take stage one cancer, a small nickel-sized cancer, the cure or survival rates can then be at 90 percent, and this is quite a big difference.
The typical symptoms of lung cancer include cough with blood, chest pain, and terrible shortness of breath. When the said indications take place, one is likely to be experiencing advanced cancer most of the time.
Treatment is available as well in this kind of illness, although it is not likely to be a treatment that can cure lung cancer.
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Who is Likely to Have Lung Cancer?
According to recently-conducted research, one who has a smoking history of 30 pack-years, or one pack each day for three decades, or two packs every day for a-decade-and-a-half, he may then be at high risk of having lung cancer. Individuals aged 55 to 75 years old are also likely to have the said fatal illness.
Screening for lung cancer via CT scan is fast, affordable, and, more often than not, covered by insurance. This screening type has also been able to lessen the radiation exposure nearly similar to that of a chest X-ray.
Therefore, it is safe to do the lung cancer screening through CT scan every year or every two years for those who are at high risk of acquiring the illness.
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