There’s more hope in the fight against lung conditions, including lung cancer, thanks to advances in technology and treatments that are available in Bartholomew County. The Lung Institute at Columbus Regional Health was among the first facilities in the country and the first in Indiana to combine two advanced technologies that help doctors diagnose lung cancer and other lung problems earlier and more accurately.

The top-of-the-line system combines the Ion robotic navigational bronchoscopy platform with Cone beam CT to generate a detailed map of the lungs that produces real-time images to help physicians access the diseased lung in a minimally invasive but highly accurate manner. It allows doctors to examine any part of the lung without making any incisions or going through the chest wall.  

“We’re able to guide the instruments through natural openings, the mouth and throat, and into the lungs where we can remove small pieces of suspicious lesions and send them to pathology for diagnosis,” said Deepankar Sharma, M.D., an interventional pulmonologist and director of the Lung Institute.

Early, Accurate Diagnosis
With conventional bronchoscopy, providers can diagnose lung cancer and benign lung problems about 30% of the time. With the Ion navigation, robotic catheter and 3D CT imaging, they’re able to make an accurate diagnosis 95% of the time.

“The new system allows us to properly stage cancer with certainty so we can offer the right treatment to patients,” said Nadeem Ikhlaque, M.D. a medical oncologist who specializes in lung cancer. “Now, more patients with early-stage lung cancer qualify for surgery, which is the only cure for lung cancer, because we have more definitive and earlier diagnoses.”

 A Brighter Outlook for Patients
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It’s also a major problem in our community where the rates of smoking, lung cancer and lung problems are higher than the national average.

Columbus Regional Health is committed to helping patients with lung disorders. Our Lung Institute is staffed by experts who offer a level of comprehensive and advanced care typically found only in major academic medical centers.

“What makes our program different is that it’s very multidisciplinary and patient focused,” Dr. Sharma said. “We have specialists who tackle lung cancer from different directions with one goal in mind — to provide the best care possible to each patient.”

The Lung Institute has a lung cancer screening program to identify patients who may need further testing, including PET scans or biopsies using the Ion Robotic platform to diagnose various benign and malignant diseases of the lungs as early as possible. When patients are diagnosed with cancer, they can get the latest treatments close to home.

“Traditionally, there were few treatment options for patients with lung cancer,” Dr. Ikhlaque said. “But we have newer medicines — such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy — that help patients live longer with a better quality of life. The outlook for lung cancer patients is better than ever.”