Lung cancer therapy in the hybrid OR with iVATS

Minimally invasive surgery can be a gentle way of treating lung cancer at an early stage.

2min

Doreen Pfeiffer

Published on May 19, 2022

Air pollution, traditional cooking over an open fire, or genetic mutations–there are many contributory factors that may cause lung cancer, particularly in young non-smoking women in Asia. Ms. Ming Zhang* is one of those affected. She has benefited not only from an early diagnosis of lung nodules, but also from a minimally invasive procedure that can locate and remove tumors in a single step.

Since low-dose CT technology has become established, the detection of small lung nodules has steadily increased [1]. Due to the risk of false-negative results, biopsies are not always the optimal method for reporting. This is why minimally invasive surgery may be indicated to determine the tumor type and remove malignant tissue.Traditionally, minimally invasive removal of small lung nodules has been performed in two separate steps at different times: First, location of the tumor using CT imaging; then, removal of the tumor in the operating room. However, this approach involved avoidable risks, such as the displacement of the needle used to remove the tumor, internal bleeding, or the onset of pneumothorax.

Professor Yin-Kai Chao of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and his team have perfected a procedure in which 3D imaging and laser-guided needle placement together with minimally invasive removal of lung nodules is performed in a single step (iVATS).

What is a pneumothorax?

Pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space, which can result in the collapse of a lobe of the lung.

Watch Ms. Zhang's story and find out what advantages iVATS offers.

Lung cancer screening: A way to reduce cancer mortality

By Doreen Pfeiffer

Doreen Pfeiffer is an editor at Siemens Healthineers.

* Not the subject's real name

[1] Team NLSTR. Results of initial low-dose computed tomographic screening for lung cancer. N Engl J Med. (2013) 2013:1980–91. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1209120.

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