Long Beach Medical Center Offers Next Generation Robotic Bronchoscopy for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center is the first hospital in the greater Long Beach region to be equipped with the recently FDA-cleared robotic-assisted navigation bronchoscopy system, called the Galaxy System. The Lung Program at Long Beach Medical Center uses this advanced technology, which employs integrated tomosynthesis (advanced X-ray system) and robotic bronchoscopy to achieve state-of-the art precision and accuracy. The Galaxy System allows pulmonologists to accurately find the lung nodule during the procedure and take a biopsy, helping them locate very small and hard-to-reach nodules.

"When you breathe, your lungs move, which can cause a lung nodule to shift slightly," says Jimmy Johannes, M.D., pulmonologist, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, Long Beach Medical Center. "The Galaxy System uses advanced technology to track and locate the nodule during the procedure, making it easier to perform a biopsy. This system allows us to safely and effectively biopsy even small lung nodules. This will allow us to diagnose cancer earlier when it is more easily treatable, which will lead to improved patient outcomes."

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and the leading cause of cancer deaths in the country. Still, it can be difficult for physicians to properly find and biopsy lung nodules, delaying diagnosis and complicating treatment. The Galaxy System's "Tool-in-Lesion" TiLT⁺Technology has been shown to achieve 100% successful navigation to a lesion, 100% diagnostic yield (every diagnostic test performed accurately identified the presence or absence of cancer), and 95% tool-in-lesion accuracy ( accurately reached the target lesion) according to the recent MATCH study publication.

The Galaxy System can biopsy nodules smaller than 2 cm while receiving real-time lesion location updates. In addition, it gives physicians access to often hard-to-reach lesions in the outer third of the lung, which can be difficult to biopsy.

The Galaxy System is the only robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system on the market with a single-use, disposable bronchoscope, designed to improve efficiency and workflow and reduce the risk of spreading germs. It also has an always-on camera, allowing direct visualization of the bronchial tube for the entire procedure, including the time of biopsy.

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center offers the latest technology in robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to provide earlier diagnosis with greater confidence. The Lung Program at Long Beach Medical Center provides a multidisciplinary team of highly skilled specialists who collaborate to provide individualized treatment plans for each patient.