Dr. Shyam Kapadia, at the controls of the ION robotic bronchoscopy system, calls the minimally invasive technology a ‘game-changer’ in lung cancer detection because it can find small lesions before they can grow and spread to other parts of the body.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but a new technology is helping doctors detect and treat it earlier than ever before. And for that, Toni Lee is thankful.
“It’s truly a miracle I’m still here,” Toni says about her journey toward being cancer-free, which began more than a year ago.
Her story honors Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about lung cancer, the importance of early detection, and how innovative technology in the treatment of cancer can save lives.
In July 2023, the 76-year-old Fort Myers resident underwent a routine lung cancer screening, which led to the finding of a mass in her left lung. Instead of opting for a conventional biopsy to determine the nature of the suspicious lesion, Toni’s doctors employed a minimally invasive approach using a revolutionary new robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform.
Dr. Shyam Kapadia, a Lee Health pulmonologist, calls the ION robotic bronchoscopy system a “game-changer” in the detection and treatment of lung cancer.
“Lung cancer is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages, with most cases only being found once the disease has progressed. Historically, only 20 to 30 percent of lung cancers are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, when the cancer is most treatable,” Dr. Kapadia says. “But the introduction of advanced technologies like the ION robotic bronchoscope is changing that reality.”
According to Dr. Kapadia, the ION can help diagnose cancer in the lungs more quickly than with traditional procedures like a trans-thoracic needle biopsy, which carries the risk of lung collapse.
“The ION system bronchoscopy allows doctors to access lesions when they're much, much smaller in the disease state," he said. "When they're smaller, as it was in Toni’s case, that means they haven't spread further (metastasized), and we can remove them eventually. Previously, we were only able to biopsy much larger, more advanced tumors."
The ION uses an ultra-thin, highly maneuverable catheter that allows doctors to reach even the smallest lung lesions. As with conventional bronchoscopy, the doctor inserts a catheter through the mouth to the lungs. Ion uses an ultrathin catheter and GPS-like navigation. This gives your doctor the ability to steer through tiny, winding airways in the lungs’ outer edges.
Once at the nodule, your doctor guides the system to carefully remove a small amount of tissue from the nodule.
In Toni's case, the ION procedure allowed her doctors to quickly confirm stage 1 lung cancer in her left lower lung lobe. Within a few weeks, she had surgery to remove the cancer.
She says the procedure was remarkable for being unremarkable, which relieved her anxiety and gave her piece of mind.
“It really was unremarkable, in terms of how simple and painless it was. There’s no invasive surgery like with a needle biopsy. The robotic-assisted bronchoscopy uses GPS to get right to the nodule. Fifteen minutes, that's all it took.”
Toni emphasized the seamless, efficient process enabled by the ION system, from diagnosis to treatment. "From the biopsy to the surgery, it took three weeks," she says, marveling at how quickly she became cancer-free – a far cry from the long wait and heightened risks often associated with traditional lung biopsy methods.
"On Tuesday, they took out the biopsy. On Friday, I found out it was malignant. Then I met with my cardiothoracic surgeon early the next week,” she recalls. “On August 8, I had the surgery. Five days after my surgery, I was up and mobile, eating and doing my own chores.”
Toni's rapid journey from discovery to surgery is a testament to the transformative power of this technology and her treatment teams: Toni’s cancer team with Lee Health Cancer Institute and her cardiothoracic surgical team with Shipley Cardiothoracic Center at Lee Health.
“From doctor to doctor, from diagnosis to surgery, the only word I can use is seamless,” Toni says.
Toni Lee, 76, remains cancer-free 18 months thanks to the ION, a minimally invasive detection and treatment screening tool that’s finding cancers earlier than ever before.
The ION system, the latest addition to Lee Health’s expanding robotics program, reflects the health system’s commitment to technology in improving patient safety and care.
Dr. Juan Ibarra, program manager for robotics surgery at Lee Health, notes, "We’re committed to providing our patients with access to the latest and most innovative technologies to improve their outcomes."
In addition to ION, the health system has also integrated 29 state-of-the-art robotic technologies into its arsenal, including the da Vinci systems for minimally invasive general, colorectal, gynecological, urological, cardiothoracic, and pediatric surgery, the ROSA for joint replacement, and the ExcelsiusGPS for spine and brain procedures.
Dr. Ibarra says Lee Health has performed over 835 robotic-assisted bronchoscopies using the ION system since December 2022. The results continue to impress.
“A review of our first 50 cases showed that our pulmonologists achieved a definitive diagnosis in 90 percent of cases,” Dr. Ibarra says. “Among those patients diagnosed, 62 percent of them had cancer, of which over half of those caught early enough for curative surgical intervention.”
"I am so thankful to Dr. Kapadia and my teams,” Toni says. “Everyone made what is normally a scary diagnosis of lung cancer so easy and seamless to deal with.”
She emphasizes, “Early detection is key, and it makes a huge difference. The ION is the reason I'm still here today."
WATCH HEALTH MATTERS: Toni Lee shares her story
Lung cancer screenings can save your life
Lee Health’s Advanced Lung Care Center supports Lee Health’s commitment to the well-being of our community by offering individualized care and specializing in lung cancer screening and lung nodules.
The Center provides an annual health risk assessment, smoking cessation counseling, and can order a lung cancer screening scan for those who meet national guideline criteria.
Most insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid cover an annual lung cancer screening. For patients without insurance, Lee Health offers several options to assist with healthcare and cancer screenings.
To learn more about how the lung cancer screening program works, and to schedule a screening questionnaire that determines whether you’re eligible based on national guidelines, visit here.
To schedule a lung cancer screening visit by phone, call the Advanced Lung Care Center at 239-468-8078. If you have medical questions about the screening, call 239-343-5864 (LUNG).
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