Innovative, minimally invasive technology at Inspira offers earlier, and more accurate lung cancer diagnoses.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide and is often discovered later than is optimal for effective treatment. Inspira is focused on giving patients earlier diagnoses, at a time when their disease is more treatable. With the introduction of a new technology - the Monarch™ navigational bronchoscopy platform - Inspira does just that.

“Lung cancer can have few, or often no, symptoms in its early stages,” said Charles Shieh, M.D., thoracic surgeon and medical director of Lung Cancer at Inspira Health. “Better screening and technology advancements like navigational bronchoscopy can help identify the disease earlier, while it is more treatable. This gives our patients a higher likelihood of successful treatment.” 

A better look into the lungs

Navigational bronchoscopy uses a long, flexible, robot-assisted tube (endoscope) to help physicians view the inside of the lungs and more accurately retrieve a sample of any suspected cancer tissue. It is a minimally invasive approach that combines traditional views of the lungs with advanced software and 3D modeling of each patient’s unique anatomy. Inspira is among the first one hundred hospitals nationwide to use this technology.

Besides being highly accurate and reducing the need for more invasive or repeated diagnostic procedures, navigational bronchoscopy has shown to reduce complications. These can include infection, bleeding, pain, and false diagnoses (whether negative or positive) which can arise from traditional, more invasive approaches. 

“Navigational bronchoscopy allows us to make confirmed diagnoses without putting the patient through an open surgery, a needle biopsy or repeated procedures,” said Shieh. “It is easier for our patients and more accurate for clinicians. The ability to identify even small or hard-to-reach nodules means we can gather the specific information and the tissue sample we need in one simple outpatient procedure.” 

Inspira is committed to delivering excellent patient care to the people of south Jersey and beyond. Many Inspira physicians and providers have been trained at some of the most prestigious medical schools and healthcare institutions. Inspira continues to equip its providers with the latest medical technology to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. 

“We know that facing a lung cancer diagnosis is scary and can be overwhelming. It’s important for South Jersey residents to know that they can stay close to home and see doctors they know, in the health system they’re familiar with. We are equipped with the technology and the comprehensive services needed to provide quality cancer care,” Shieh said. 

The new Monarch bronchoscopy platform is available at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information about lung cancer services at Inspira, click here.