New lung cancer approach cuts diagnosis-to-treatment time from 3 months to hours

Breathing comes easy now for 83-year-old Kathy Indovina. But several months ago, it was a different story.

"I had been coughing up blood. I wasn't looking at that as a symptom in particular. I had no idea what was causing it," she said.

The cause was a suspicious lesion in one of her lungs. But when doctors told her she would need a surgical procedure to biopsy it and then months later, possibly another surgery to remove it, she refused.

"And I said, 'Can't we possibly do those together?' Because I don't want two different appointments if I can make it one," Indovina said.

That's not how it's usually done. From diagnosis to treatment, most patients will have to wait about three months. During this time, there's a lot of anxiety.

"The patient is worrying about what that diagnosis is, the next steps or waiting for information, " said pulmonologist Dr. Robert Goldberg.

So at Providence Mission Hospital, patients who are eligible can undergo what's called a Single Anesthesia Biopsy and Lobectomy.

"It's less invasive when we are able to do everything at the same time," she said.

Goldberg said the latest technology makes this possible. He employs a robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to biopsy the lesion. Once it's verified to be cancer, surgeons use minimally-invasive robotics to remove the diseased portion.

"It takes a lot of logistics in order for it to be successful," he said.

The entire procedure takes about 2 and a half to three hours. And another big benefit is how you don't have to undergo anesthesia twice.

Goldberg.said the procedure is covered by insurance. Patients go home within one to three days and are back to normal activities within a few weeks. Indovina is glad she was the right patient at the right time.

"Her prognosis is 90 percent five-year survival," Goldberg said.