Augusta, GA – A positive diagnosis for lung cancer is a death sentence for many each year. In fact, no type of cancer is more deadly than lung cancer with more than 160,000 deaths annually.
Patient William Bissell had heard the words, “You have lung cancer,” twice before being seen at Doctors Hospital. His family was devastated and they were ready to discuss treatment options when pulmonologist, Dr. Carmel Joseph, suggested using the superDimension i-Logic™ System, sometimes referred to as “Super D,” to confirm Mr. Bissell’s diagnosis.
With SuperD, a catheter is threaded into the bronchoscope, and can extend beyond the instrument to access more remote locations in the lungs, using electromagnetic sensors to detect lesions. Imagine a tiny thread with probes on the end, reaching the most hard to access places in the lung. One reason lung cancer is so deadly is because it’s difficult to detect in its early stages. The tumors are often difficult to reach with traditional diagnostic equipment and the lesions, about 65% in total, that develop are either too small to detect or too difficult to reach. With Super D these difficult to access areas are reachable and offer a more accurate diagnosis.
Dr. Joseph had good news for the Bissell family. William was lung cancer free and his prognosis was excellent. As William puts it, “Super D gave me my life back that day. My family’s entire outlook for the future changed. What more can be asked for?”
Dr. Carmel Joseph is encouraged by the outlook Super D offers. He states, “This is an exciting technology. It really opens up the ability to diagnose tumors much earlier and potentially improve the cure rate for lung cancer. The best part of this technology is that we can offer patients like William relief. We can send him, and others like him, home with complete confidence that he is lung cancer free. That means everything to a patient and their family.”
Super D also helped Bissell avoid potentially invasive lung surgery that would have meant an extended recovery time and weeks out of work. Instead, he was back on his feet the day the same day as the procedure.