UC Davis Health diagnosing more lung cancer at stage 1 than ever before thanks to breakthrough technologies
SACRAMENTO -- Breakthrough technology is helping UC Davis Health treat more cases of lung cancer in its earliest stages. It's the first hospital system in Northern California to marry two cutting-edge advanced imaging technologies that make finding abnormalities in the lungs faster and safer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths nationwide, expected to take the lives of 125,000 Americans this year alone. That is why UC Davis Health being home to these new technologies is something doctors call a game-changer.
"This is the Cios Spin, here. What it does is take 3D images of the patient's lungs," said Dr. Chinh Phan, showing CBS13 the machine.
It works together with the robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system called the Ion.
"It has a 3.5-millimeter catheter. We use this machine, drive it with this controller into the patient's airways to get to the nodule," demonstrated Phan. "The Ion robotic system helps drive the robotic camera to that spot."
Dr. Phan is the director of UC Davis Health's Interventional Pulmonology Program.
The result of combining the power of these two machines is finding lung nodules that could be cancer much quicker than ever before.
"It updates the nodule's location in real-time like GPS does when you're in traffic. It updates where you need to go. Because of that, we can do the biopsy exactly where we need to biopsy," said Phan.
The reason that's so revolutionary?
Lung cancer in its earliest stages is tiny.
"You can imagine trying to find a 10-millimeter nodule in the lungs is very difficult," said Phan. "It's like finding a needle in a haystack."
This is why lung cancer is the most lethal cancer worldwide.
This state-of-the-art screening means more lives are already being saved through early diagnosis.
"Since we've had this technology, we've diagnosed more stage 1 lung cancer than we ever have before," said Phan.
In over 400 biopsies, since UC Davis Health first got the Cios Spin 3D imaging machine in 2022, the hospital has used it to diagnose 107 patients with stage 1 lung cancer.
That's a 49% increase in stage 1 diagnoses that were, before this innovation, stages 3 and 4.
"Prior to this technology, I would see a patient's CT scan and say to myself, I can't diagnose this safely. It'll only be like a coinflip of getting an answer for the patient and I would send them to an alternative procedure. But now, when I see these modules that are very small, I don't hesitate anymore. Because I know the technology we have is the best technology to date to get patients diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer," said Phan.
It's a stark contrast for Dr. Phan, as before he was left telling the majority of his patients that they have lung cancer and it's advanced. The survival outcomes in those cases are grim.
"But now, we are having the other type of conversation. That is, 'Yes, you do have lung cancer. The glass half full is that it is stage 1. So you are able to be cured," said Phan.
For the deadliest cancer diagnosis, there is new hope on the horizon that is promising progress one spin of the Cios at a time.
California has the lowest lung cancer screening rate in the country, which is alarming to doctors.
Dr. Phan hopes this story raises awareness of how important it is for those who qualify for lung cancer screenings to get them on an annual basis.
If a routine screening catches something abnormal, a patient's doctor can refer them to UC Davis where they could participate in this advanced level 3D screening. It is eligible to be covered by insurance providers.
UC Davis Health is getting a second Cios Spin machine in the near future. Doctors hope it will help break down barriers to lung cancer care in our region.