Mercy Medical Center in Redding is the only facility between Sacramento and Portland offering this life-saving procedure using something called the Ion Robotic Lung Program.
Redding, California – In this week’s Wellness Wednesday segment, Action News Now anchor Alan Marsden shares how amazing new technology is helping Mercy Medical Center detect lung cancer.
In Northern California, lung cancer ranks among the top two tumor cancers diagnosed each year.
And, as with many types of cancer, the longer a person goes undiagnosed, the less likely they are to survive.
Mercy Medical Center in Redding is the only facility between Sacramento and Portland offering this life-saving procedure using something called the Ion Robotic Lung Program.
The Ion Robotic Lung Program is a rotating 3D CT machine used to diagnose lung cancer earlier than ever before.
Marsden spoke to Dr. Rafael Lupercio, who is leveraging this new technology.
“Before, we didn’t have this system, so it was very difficult to find it. You basically had to get a CT scan, and if you had a nodule, you either waited until it was big enough, or It had to be taken out without a nodule. “We can tell if it’s cancer. This gives us a 95% chance of getting to the nodule and making a diagnosis,” Dr. Lupercio said.
Dr. Lupercio said the technology works by delivering a probe through the patient’s mouth, allowing the ionic robot to travel deep into the lungs to collect tissue samples that doctors could not previously reach for biopsies. He said he could now find the lumps.
“So the earlier you catch the cancer, the more options you have. If you remove the cancer and it stays local, you have a very good chance of being cured. Instead of treatment. It heals,” Dr. Lupercio said.
Without this new technology, patient prognosis could be grim. Dr. Lupercio said that currently, his 80% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer are stage 3 or stage 4. Five-year survival rates range from 5% to 40%.
Early screening is the key to defeating these odds. Dr. Lupercio said early screening can mean the difference between life and death.
“If they’re a smoker, the first thing I say is ‘stop’. It’s never too late to quit. Nothing good comes from smoking. And secondly, get tested. Get it,” Dr. Lupercio said.
This screening will determine whether you should undergo the Ion Robotic Lung Program.
However, you must first qualify to be examined. Typically, you qualify if you are over 50 and have smoked one pack a day for 20 years.
Dr. Lupercio said he has performed this procedure about 80 times. Malignant tumors were found in 80% of them. His 5% of cases had a diagnosis other than cancer.
