UH First in Northeast Ohio to Use New Technology for Lung Cancer Diagnosis

CLEVELAND – A new innovation that holds promise to fight lung cancer is now in use at University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center. Approximately 80 percent of lung cancer cases are discovered at an advanced stage, leading to fewer options for treatment and more deaths. Auris Health’s Monarch^™ Platform enables earlier and more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung by allowing a physician to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy. UH is among the first hospitals in the United States to utilize the platform, which was recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Getting a good, accurate biopsy and being able to make a precise diagnosis will lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, resulting in improved outcomes for patients,” said Benjamin Young, MD, Medical Director of Bronchoscopy at UH Cleveland Medical Center. “This technology is really exciting, and a giant step forward in bronchoscope design. Monarch will allow us to reach smaller peripheral lung nodules that are now generally not accessible with current techniques and technology.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it has no symptoms in its early stages. There are a variety of diagnostic options currently available for lung cancer, but all have limitations in accuracy, safety, or invasiveness. These limitations can lead to false positives, false negatives, or side effects such as pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and serious bleeding, which may increase health care costs and extend hospital stays.

The Monarch Platform integrates the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science, and endoscopy (the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings). Physicians use the flexible robotic endoscope to navigate to the periphery of the lung with improved reach, vision, and control. Combining traditional endoscopic views into the lung with computer-assisted navigation based on 3-D models of the patient’s own lung anatomy, the Monarch Platform provides physicians with continuous bronchoscope vision throughout the entire procedure.

“Compared to the current technology, robotic bronchoscopy doubles -- maybe even triples -- our ability to successfully sample smaller lesions; those we might not even try for now,” said Dr. Young. “With robotic bronchoscopy, we can more accurately evaluate incidental findings, sparing patients from further imaging or additional procedures and relieving them of unnecessary doubt and anxiety.”