NCH’s Lung Cancer Program a differentiator in the market

Did you know what sets NCH’s multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program apart from other local cancer care providers is our interventional pulmonology expertise and the sophisticated surgical procedures our thoracic surgeons perform, including video-assisted thoracic surgery or robotic surgery using the da Vinci^® Surgical System, both Xi and Si.

Our interventional pulmonologists use innovative tools, such as electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), to biopsy lymph nodes and masses that are oftentimes in hard-to-reach areas of the lungs. In some cases, these less invasive options may be an alternative to surgery.

Neeraj R. Desai, M.D., M.B.A., FACP, FCCP, interventional pulmonologist, explains of EBUS, “It’s a minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedure that helps us diagnose and stage lung cancer by sampling the lymph nodes in the mediastinum and hilar regions of the lungs.”

Dr. Desai notes that, at NCH, a pathologist is present in the procedure room when interventional pulmonology procedures are performed.

“The pathologist analyzes the nodule or tissue sample immediately, providing preliminary confirmation that it is either cancerous or noncancerous,” adds Dr. Desai. “If we do discover the patient has cancer, we quickly map out the next steps and work with the patient to choose the most appropriate treatment plan.”

Learn more about electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy in Dr. Desai’s Q-and-A article in this month’s A Healthier YOU e-newsletter.